Full Press Raiders: Gruden Roundtable

Yesterday, Jon Gruden conducted his first press conference as the new head coach of the Oakland Raiders. In a star-studded event, Gruden fielded questions from various media outlets. With this in mind, Full Press writers Pete Camarillo, Ray Aspuria, Anthony Zaragoza, Chris Simmons, and Jordan Briskey discuss all of the recent news.

After viewing the Gruden press conference, what question needed asking?

Camarillo: How long do you think it will take you to evaluate the roster and get up to speed with personnel decisions before the offseason pickups?

Aspuria: By year five, if you have not won a Super Bowl Jon, would you consider that run a failure?

Zaragoza: 2002 was the last time the Raiders won the AFC West, how does this team win the division this year?

Simmons: What are you bringing to the table that has not been present in the building for the last 15 years? To me, that question will be answered over time. .

Briskey: Were there hard feelings about the trade to Tampa Bay?

Although Reggie McKenzie looked comfortable during the presser, where do you guess the tension will rise?

Briskey: Reggie McKenzie looked like a GM who was involved in the hiring. In addition, He declined to interview for the Packers, which tells me that he is very comfortable and “in the loop” with all decisions. Contentions will arise over personnel decisions. However, Reggie will have the final say. Moreover, Gruden will have to find a way to deal. That is his job. Nevertheless, with Reggie’s cap management brilliance and Gruden’s micro managing of personnel, it could be a very fruitful partnership.

Simmons: The importance of such unity cannot be overstated as we have seen over time what happens when the unity is eroding or never present at all. I imagine McKenzie will slowly begin to transition to more of an over-sight role as opposed to directly hands on in things like draft choices but I do believe is he very safe at the moment.

Zaragoza: These two are from the same coaching/management team in Green Bay. Under those circumstances, they should have many similarities in strategy and philosophies. The pressure is on, so this first off-season will be key.

Aspuria: The point of contention likely comes draft day. What happens if Gruden is pining for one prospect while McKenzie and his scouts want another?

Camarillo: I would expect Gruden to want to upgrade roster talent immediately and that may mean spending in free agency. Gruden and the Raiders leaned on these veteran acquisitions during the first stint. However, McKenzie has been passive at attacking top-tier people.

What are your minimum expectations for Gruden?

Zaragoza:  AFC West title. I expect a strong draft and aggressive pursuit of quality free agents this offseason. Moreover, the buzz around the league should prompt people to want to play in Oakland.

Camarillo:  I expect an AFC Championship game within two years. A Super Bowl within five and two Super Bowls over the ten-year deal.

Aspuria: Super Bowl. It’s a lofty goal, but the contract and commitment made by owner Mark Davis is indicative of hoisting a Lombardi Trophy before the team bounces from the Bay and heads to Sin City.

Briskey: I expect him to get to the playoffs almost every year. It is a very hard thing to actually win a Super bowl and takes a little bit of luck as well. In contrast, many things go into winning a Super Bowl, expecting one is somewhat unrealistic. Yet, fielding a competitive team that has a chance at winning one is another story

Simmons: Instead of throwing out some regular season record, for me the most important thing is playoff wins. I don’t care if the Raiders are 9-7 or 13-3, if they are winning playoff games then this will all be worth it.