Ryan Clark Makes Honest Assessment of Raiders OC Chip Kelly Before Training Camp

Yahoo

14-07-2025

Ryan Clark Makes Honest Assessment of Raiders OC Chip Kelly Before Training Camp originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Las Vegas Raiders are entering the 2025 NFL season with plenty of moving pieces. New head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek completely revamped the roster this offseason in their first year at the helm.
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They also put together an All-Star lineup of coordinators, position coaches and front office members, so the future of the Silver and Black finally looks promising. Raider Nation did have concerns, however, about new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.
Kelly has been widely accepted as a bright offensive mind at the college level. But his short-term success with the Philadelphia Eagles, followed by utter failure with the San Francisco 49ers, has caused a bit of uncertainty heading into the year.
Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Fortunately, it seems like Kelly has changed his ways and should be the man for the job in Las Vegas. ESPN commentator and Super Bowl champion safety Ryan Clark was asked on "The Mina Kimes Show" last week about whether he was a believer in Kelly.
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"Yes, I am. He changed," Clark said. "In a day and age where what he started in college football is what everybody does. He had three pros on the outside [at Ohio State] ... There were times where, I'm obviously sitting in the stadium when they're playing Notre Dame, who's beat up up front, and he's like, 'You know what? We're gonna go 12 [personnel]. We're gonna run the football. We're gonna find ways to use 21 [personnel], and even though I have all these people on the outside, this is where I can win.'"
This is a promising revelation for the Raiders, as they had arguably the worst offense in the league last season. Las Vegas' rushing attack ranked 32nd with just 79.8 yards per game, and their 18.2 points per contest were among the worst in the NFL as well.
Las Vegas made several key upgrades on offense in terms of personnel as well, with quarterback Geno Smith now under center and rookie Ashton Jeanty expected to revive the backfield.
There are question marks surrounding the team's wide receiver corps, given that two rookies are expected to contribute heavily. However, 2024 All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers and 1,000-yard receiver Jakobi Meyers should eat up the bulk of the targets.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 9, 2025, where it first appeared.