11:34am: The Raiders are also looking to deal wideout Amari Cooper, per Jay Glazer of Fox Sports (video link). Vic Tafur of The Athletic explains that it makes sense for the Raiders to be shopping Cooper now (via Twitter), because he will be on the last year of his rookie deal in 2019, and it looks as though Oakland is priming for a multi-year rebuild. And if Gruden traded Mack when he thought the team couldn’t contend, it stands to reason that he would be willing to trade Cooper as well.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk points out that Mack, Joseph, and Cooper are all represented by the same agent, Joel Segal, and it could be that the team’s willingness to trade those players is motivated at least in part by its unwillingness to negotiate with the man who won a stare down with Gruden during the Mack negotiations.
08:52am: When the Raiders hired Jon Gruden in January, it became immediately clear that seventh-year GM Reggie McKenzie and the club would be parting ways in the near future. After all, the Raiders made an enormous commitment to Gruden while giving him a significant amount of McKenzie’s power over roster construction, so the writing has been on the wall for some time. And, despite the fact that Gruden’s evaluation methods have created tension within the team’s personnel department, he is continuing his mission to rid the roster of talent that he inherited from McKenzie, which he has clearly been unhappy with.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that the Raiders are shopping 2016 first-round pick Karl Joseph, who has struggled with injuries during his brief career. La Canfora says that Joseph, who sat out the past two games with a hamstring injury, has also fallen out of favor with Oakland’s new staff.
Of course, Joseph’s senior year at West Virginia was cut short by a knee injury, and many teams placed a second- or third-round grade on him as a result. But the Raiders, then led by McKenzie, believed enough in Joseph’s talent to make him the No. 14 overall selection in the 2016 draft, and while he has certainly not played poorly with the Raiders, he has not exactly lived up to his draft status either. As such, it is unlikely the Raiders would be able to get much for him, especially as he is entering the most expensive year(s) of his rookie deal.
The Raiders have already tried to cut ties with Joseph’s fellow safety, 2017 second-rounder Obi Melifonwu, who is currently on IR but who has probably played his last down for Oakland. La Canfora also says that the team is willing to trade veteran Derrick Johnson, whom Gruden brought in to serve as Oakland’s starting middle linebacker this offseason. Johnson, who will turn 36 next month, is obviously not a part of the Raiders’ future plans.
Gruden has already shown a willingness to part with top-flight talent when he traded Khalil Mack before the start of the regular season, and La Canfora says that Gruden could soon be shopping another one of McKenzie’s prized draft picks, quarterback Derek Carr. The CBS scribe writes that a growing number of GMs believe Gruden could entertain offers for Carr in 2019, and it appears that the team will certainly be one of the busiest over the next couple of weeks, as the trade deadline looms on October 30.
Gruden is a joke. The Giants have an obvious need at QB, I think they should make a move for Carr if he is indeed available.
The raiders have been a joke for decades, since Gruden was last there. Got to strip it down to the studs and rebuild, hence the 10 year deal.
They were on the right track with del rio and McKenzie. Gruden has set them very far backwards, + his coaching has not been good either. In terms of Carr to the giants, if he can get good picks for that, that’s very impressive, because a look at the film will show that Carr has not been good for a few years, unfortunately.
How has Chucky “set them very far backwards?” I’d argue that Gruden has done the opposite with the Mack deal (and possible trades of Cooper/Joseph/Carr)
Trading an LT’esque player for picks isn’t moving forward. Putting your most talented offensive and defensive players remaining on the block is not moving forward.
Sorry but I’m withAngelsintheTroutfield on this one. I know that the easy thing to do is rip on Gruden for letting Mack go because of the unbelievable talent he is, but if you look at the giant salaries given to FA’s in the NFL, not many of the team they are on are winning. I think that Gruden’s plan is going to be young cheap talent. Right now it’s old cheap talent because it’s all he’s been able to bring in on his own while he still has to evaluate the guys that Mckenzie drafted and signed, but Gruden is looking to build a sustainable future using the draft to find guys that will fit his system.
The Giants will get the #1 QB in CFB for years on a rookie deal. Why would they trade for Carr?
If gruden could finesse the giants out of their first round pick this year he will go down as one of the best coach/gms in history lol
Dolphins better try & trade for Carr. Although I find it highly unlikely Gruden moves Carr. I think he’s a big reason why Gruden took this job.
Gruden is too “smart” for his own good. He needs to figure out how to make the pieces he has work. Jack Del Rio took these same players to the playoffs two years ago.
He not trying to make playoffs he clearly want to start over that why he got 10 yr deal
Stockpiling 1st round picks is nice but you actually need to hit on them. They really took Kolton Miller over Derwin James and allowed James to slip to their biggest divison rival
I guess we know where Ryan Fitzpatrick will be starting in 2019!
This has gone from bad to near-disaster really quickly. Gruden is micro-managing like he’s playing GM in Madden 2019. Reggie McKenzie made plenty of mistakes but he’s virtually being slapped in the face, and he doesn’t deserve it simply because Gruden’s way is obviously no improvement.
It’s only 4 games into Grudens way. Think we should give it more time before a judgement is made?
I would normally agree with you that 4 games is a quick rush to judgement, but if they are trying to trade multiple players already, that sends the message that this team is a lost cause and a complete rebuild is in order. That is not what most pundits were saying about this team when Gruden took over.
He did trade away a future HOF pass rusher in the prime of his career, and the. kept saying it’s hard to find pass rushers so….
It IS hard to find them, which is why some teams are willing to pay 141 million dollars for them. But Chicago was able to do that because Trubisky is still in his rookie contract. Rams could pay Donald because Goff is still in his rookie contract. Unfortunately, Carr is the one making the huge money. No other team in the league has two $100+ mil contracts. Let go of Khalil sucked but it makes financial sense for the team’s future.
I think the Raiders should get back on the phone with the Bears but about Cooper this time. I don’t see them getting more than a mid round draft pick for him and the Bears May be able to use one more receiver on offense to complete their squad
If you are getting rid guys why not flip Nelson back to the Packers?
Packers didn’t want him without draft pick compensation tied to his rights in the off season, what makes you think they want to give up picks for him now? He was a great player in his day but the game has passed him by.
Wouldn’t mind seeing Cooper in Philly. They have the draft capital and a need for a receiver opposite Jeffrey
Go get em Howie!
When the Raiders hired Gruden, they were a piece of two and some better health away from being a consistent contender. It’s actually amazing how quickly he’s ruined them, and it’s a shame that he’s letting his own pride get in the way of building a good team.
What “piece or two” away were they? And from what? I agree, the Raiders were a piece or two away from being a smoke and mirrors contender. Perhaps they—Mark Davis, Gruden—felt that they were much further away from being a real contender (not a 10-6 team that gets bounced in the first round), and decided to go all-in in rebuilding the team so it’s a legit contender early on in the Vegas years.
The Raiders weren’t beating the top teams in the AFC this year no matter what. This is probably the right move, but we won’t know for a few years.
The Raiders simply don’t get it and Chuckie has run this team into the ground. Surrounded himself with older players and giving up young talent. This team was close and he has ruined it.
Gruden’s Revenge!!!
Amari to the Cowboys!
Basically, the idea is to get as many draft picks and start the process over with a bunch of rookie contracts around Derek Carr?
Yes, but hopefully without Carr. He is playing as bad or worse than Manning.
The only smart thing the Raiders have done was before Chucky… they can get out of car with minimal dead cap the next 3 years if they so chose to.
Chip Gruden.