Raiders Opinion: The Gruden View

After three disappointing seasons, Jon Gruden sits at a crossroads. Now, this article isn’t about how he sees the future. It’s an opinion piece. Now, no ill will or animus exists with Gruden. He coaches the Raiders and will continue to, as long as he wants. May as well cease with the notion that Mark Davis will fire him. As a result, tweets or petitions won’t work, in any shape or form. In fact, Mark Davis continually shows that he runs the team his way. Save those characters and memes, Gruden is here for as long as he chooses to stay in Las Vegas. However, that fact should never absolve him from the heaping helping of criticism that should fall upon him.

Caricature

When Jon Gruden returned to the sidelines, many heralded him as the franchise savior. Somehow, people envisioned him as the same person that patrolled the sidelines in Oakland in the early part of this century. That version of Jon Gruden does not exist, and should not. We all age, mature, and evolve as people. Yet, that isn’t the leading reason why the second stint struggles became commonplace. Spending a decade on TV seemed to craft the head coach into a TV guy, one cognizant of where the cameras sit and affinity for the red light. John Harbaugh, whose teams play the Raiders on opening night, cares less. Andy Reid, for all of his jovial nature,, doesn’t appear to care about the camera. Gruden holds court and the fans absolutely adore this. In all honesty, many in the media fawn over him, granting him the benefit of the doubt. The exaggerated cadence and facial expression seem perfect for the television.

Personnel Flaws

Make no mistake, Jon Gruden runs the Las Vegas Raiders. He maintains the final say on all personnel decisions. With that power, comes great responsibility. To this point, the Raiders under his watch failed to live up to the hype and bluster. From trading a generational, homegrown pass rusher to overdrafting a run-stuffing defensive end, the Raiders failed to build a quality, depth-loaded roster. This falls squarely on Jon Gruden. Not Reggie McKenzie. Not Mike Mayock. Drafting a player in the Top 100, only to trade him before the season starts is inexcusable. Waste of a draft pick. To paraphrase Harry Truman, the buck stops with Jon Gruden. The football fates afforded the Raiders a cache of draft picks an opportunity, which they squandered.

Brutal Truth

If the Raiders don’t win multiple Super Bowls during the remainder of Jon Gruden’s tenure, his second tenure is an abject failure, People lament how much players make, but ignore the nine-figure contract with Gruden’s signature. No one wants Jon Gruden to fail. However, he sits at a vast trust deficit. The Raiders haven’t won consistently. They struggle late in seasons, failing to capitalize on hot starts. All of this rests on Jon Gruden’s shoulders.