Klint Kubiak: Raiders players, not coaches, will set the team culture

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Antonio Pierce and Pete Carroll brought oversized personalities to the Raiders ' facility the past two years, and whether the presence of each coach would establish a winning culture was a major talking point entering each season.

So much so that players were routinely asked and agreed at the time that they fed off their coaches.

Given Las Vegas won seven total games those two seasons, it would be easy to dismiss any such talk this time under yet another new coach. But Klint Kubiak says it's the players who set the culture.

“I think it’s really important that it’s those guys that define it,” the Raiders' new coach said. "There’s things we talk about in team meetings, but words are really just words. So I think the most important thing is we go watch our tape and then we talk about what is acceptable and what is not. What effort looks like, what it doesn’t look like, and then we let the players go set that standard. It’s their game, not ours.”

That comment fits Kubiak's all-business style, notable during his introductory news conference in February when he didn't try to light up the media room in ways that Pierce and Carroll did.

At times, culture seemed to be the main storyline under those previous coaches.

“We trust AP because AP trusts us," then-cornerback Nate Hobbs said of the Pierce-coached team in 2024. "As a player, that’s one of the biggest things you could you have from a coach is that trust and that credibility and belief. He believes in you and that almost makes you more ready to go. I feel like that breeds ultimate buy-in and confidence. You got those two on the team along with the hard work aspect of it, sky’s the limit.”

The Raiders went 4-13 and Pierce was fired after the season.

“I love Pete, and you can just look at his resume,” wide receiver Tre Tucker said last year. "It speaks for itself. He had us all fired up in a team meeting. We wish we can guarantee it all, but that’s the mentality and the expectations. You have to set the expectations high so you can meet that, so he’s great. His resume speaks for (itself), and we’re light years better than what we’ve been.”

Las Vegas went 3-14 and Carroll was fired after the season.

The Raiders, of course, aren't alone in taking an optimistic approach into a season. All teams routinely try to take the sunniest view before the games begin to count. Kubiak maintained it's “just words.”

Because he isn't trying to sell a rosy future, it could add credence to the idea that maybe this time is different for an organization that hasn't won a playoff game since appearing in the Super Bowl 24 years ago.

Plus, having Fernando Mendoza, the top pick in this year's NFL draft, on the roster provides hope the Raiders might finally have their long-desired franchise quarterback.

“I don’t want to disparage anybody that’s previously been here or any other cultures or staff that we’ve had, but it does seem to feel different this time,” punter AJ Cole said. "It does seem to feel like we have a really cohesive vision, a really collective buy-in, and I think that the number of people swimming in the same direction is definitely at an all-time high.”

The offensive line figured to feature some key position battles, but it hasn't played out that way.

Las Vegas has gone with the same starting five each day of camp — left tackle Kolton Miller, left guard Spencer Burford, center Tyler Linderbaum, right guard Jackson Powers-Johnson and right tackle DJ Glaze.

Offensive line coach Rick Dennison, however, cautioned against reading too much into that.

“We’re not even through our install yet," Dennison said Tuesday. "We’ve still got a couple more days of putting our base stuff in, and then we’ll pull and keep moving guys around.”

Tuesday's practice was not only open to fans, but a number of former Raiders also were there.

Fred Biletnikoff, Greg Townsend, Richie Incognito, Steve Wisniewski, Napoleon McCallum and Jay Schroeder were among the ex-players at the team facility.

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