Jon Gruden Hires New RB Coach
- Former Colts running backs coach Jemal Singleton is taking a job as the Raiders’ running backs coach under Jon Gruden, a source tells Rapoport (Twitter link). Under Singleton’s tutelage, ageless wonder Frank Gore ran for 961 yards and three TDs last year plus 29 catches for 245 yards and one receiving score.
Did Raiders Follow Rooney Rule?
Did the Raiders violate the Rooney Rule with the hiring of Jon Gruden? That’s what the Fritz Pollard Alliance is asking the NFL. 
“As soon as we learned of the reports, we formally requested that the NFL thoroughly investigate the matter to conclusively determine whether the Rooney Rule was violated — and if it was violated, to impose an appropriate punishment,” Fritz Pollard Alliance counsel Cyrus Mehri and N. Jeremi Duru said in a statement.
During Gruden’s introductory press conference, owner Mark Davis said that he spoke with Gruden on Christmas Eve – while Jack Del Rio was still employed as the head coach – about returning to Oakland. No deal was signed at that point, but Davis intimated that an agreement was in place. This all took place more than a week before any minority candidate was interviewed for the job.
“I felt pretty confident that he was all-in,” Davis said. “And that’s the term that we were using in our discussions and everything, are you all-in? And I never wavered from all-in. And this time he didn’t waver, either.”
The Raiders technically did interview a pair of black coaches in Oakland tight ends coach Bobby Johnson and USC offensive coordinator Tee Martin and they feel that is enough to satisfy the Rooney Rule. However, Davis’ comments could be damning, because he appears to be saying that the Gruden hire was already a done deal before they met with GM Reggie McKenzie.
If the NFL finds that the Raiders were in violation of Rooney Rule procedure, the Raiders could face hefty fines and/or the forfeiture of draft picks.
Raiders Notes: Gannon, Fraley, Marynowitz
Rich Gannon will not be the next Raiders’ quarterbacks coach, as he explained to 95.7 The Game (Twitter link via Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area). Gannon, now a commentator with CBS Sports, apparently had some level of interest in the position, but “came to his senses” on a flight to Oakland, realizing he couldn’t put in the required time commitment. Gannon, of course, has a long relationship with new Oakland head coach Jon Gruden, as he served as Gruden’s starting quarterback with the Raiders from 1999-2001. The 2002 MVP, Gannon lost to Gruden’s Buccaneers in that year’s Super Bowl. Without Gannon in tow, Oakland may simply choose not to hire a QBs coach, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Here’s more from Oakland:
- The Raiders are hiring an offensive line coach to replace Mike Tice, and the club has no shortage of candidates. Incumbent Cardinals offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin — who is also in the running for the Bengals OL job — has interviewed with Oakland. Meanwhile, former Eagles lineman Hank Fraley, former Dolphins coach Jim Turner, and longtime NFL stalwarts Hal Hunter and Frank Smith are also contenders for the position, reports Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).
- Cowboys running backs Gary Brown is interviewing for the same role with the Raiders today, per Rapoport (Twitter link). Gruden had been expected to target Brown ever since he was linked to the Oakland job, but Dallas reportedly isn’t giving him up without a fight. Whether or not Brown decides to defect to the Bay Area could depend on the content of today’s meeting. Brown, who enjoyed a nine-year career as an NFL running back, first entered the coaching ranks with Cleveland in 2009.
- Alabama defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley is interviewing to become the Raiders’ new secondary coach, according to Rapoport (Twitter link). Ansley has never coached at the NFL level, but he does offer vast collegiate experience at stops such as Kentucky and Tennessee. Recent reports have indicated Ansley will be Colorado State’s next defensive coordinator, but he could hypothetically pass up that opportunity in order to join the NFL.
- The Raiders are speaking to Alabama associate athletic director for football Ed Marynowitz about a role in their personnel department, reports Michael Lombardi of the Ringer (Twitter link). Marynowitz previously worked under Chip Kelly in the Eagles’ front office, but was fired along with Kelly in 2015.
Raiders Interview Harold Goodwin
- Cardinals offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Harold Goodwin has interviewed recently with the Bengals and Raiders for their OL coach positions, Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic tweets. It seems unlikely that Goodwin will return to Arizona in his current role following the retirement of head coach Bruce Arians.
Latest On Jets, OC John Morton
Offensive coordinator John Morton is not a lock to return to the Jets in 2018, as Manish Mehta of the Daily News details. The Jets will not stand in the way if Morton is offered an opportunity to join up with the Raiders. Meanwhile, some within the organization would like to see quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates elevated to OC.
Morton is well-regarded in New Jersey, but the results have been underwhelming. This past season, the Jets finished 28th in total yards, 29th in first downs, 24th in passing yards, and 19th in rushing yards. Granted, he wasn’t exactly working with the most talented personnel out there.
If the Jets do nudge Morton out the door, it’s not a given that Bates will want to ascend to OC. In fact, just a couple of weeks ago, Bates indicated that he is not interested in taking the job. Given Todd Bowles‘ desire for consistency, the team’s best bet may be to stick with Morton if Bates is unwilling to move up the ranks.
“It’s always good to have consistency and continuity, but in the NFL things change all the time,” Bowles said recently. “You have to be ready. If we keep the same scheme, that’s great. If we have to change for whatever reason, we’ll go from there.”
Raiders Notes: Gruden, Lippincott, Barlow
Having been introduced as the Raiders’ new head coach earlier today, Jon Gruden says that interviews for assistant coaches will begin on Wednesday morning, according to Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (Twitter link). Gruden, who already has three coordinators in place, kept certain NFL coaches on “red alert” in regards to when he’d re-enter the league, per Gehlken. Oakland has agreed to terms with Greg Olson (offensive coordinator), Paul Guenther (defensive coordinator), and Rich Bisaccia (special teams coordinator) to join Gruden’s initial staff.
Here’s more from the Bay Area, with a focus on other coaches that Gruden could soon lure to Oakland:
- Former Bengals staffer David Lippincott will follow Guenther and join the Raiders as the club’s next linebackers coach, per Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirier and Alex Marvez of the Sporting News (Twitter links). Lippincott had worked for the Bengals for a decade, beginning as a quality control coach before becoming Cincinnati’s assistant linebackers coach/quality control. He’ll offer familiarity with Guenther’s scheme, and attempt to renovate a unit that was arguably among the league’s worst in 2017.
- Virginia State head coach Reggie Barlow is being considered for the Raiders’ wide receivers coach job, tweets Marvez. Barlow, 45, spent three seasons playing under Gruden, both with Oakland and Tampa Bay. Primarily a return man during his playing career, Barlow also served as the head coach at Alabama State from 2007-14. All told, Barlow has posted an impressive 68-45 during his collegiate career, including a 10-1 mark last season. He interviewed for the Browns’ wide receivers coach job in 2015.
- Raiders cornerback Sean Smith was officially arraigned on felony assault and battery charges related to a July 4 incident, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Smith, 30, almost certainly won’t be a member of Oakland’s roster next year, and the assault allegations are only part of the story. Smith graded as the No. 73 cornerback among 121 qualifiers (per Pro Football Focus), and is due $8.5MM in 2017. The Raiders can clear that entire total from their books by cutting ties with Smith in the coming months.
Raiders To Interview Packers Exec Eliot Wolf
The Raiders have an interview scheduled for this week with Packers executive Eliot Wolf, according to Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (Twitter link). Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reported earlier today that Oakland has an offer on the table for Wolf, who’s also being courted by the Browns.
Wolf is now being torn between Green Bay and two organizations where Packers ties run deep. Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie was a long-time Green Bay executive before coming to Oakland, while Browns GM John Dorsey also worked with the Packers and has already poached personnel man Alonzo Highsmith from Green Bay. McKenzie, who said he hopes to bring in Wolf Wednesday or Thursday, seemingly acknowledged Wolf’s leverage to Gehlken.
“I know him,” McKenzie said. “Ain’t got to interview much. I want him to see what’s happening and see if he wants to be a part of what we’re doing.”
Wolf, 35, has a contract with Green Bay, meaning the club could technically block him from taking another job. But new Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said yesterday that he has no intention of doing so, even though he’d like to retain Wolf as his “right-hand man.” “We have a great relationship, Gutekunst said. “I’m very fond of the person, and the scout is excellent. I’ve told him that. I really want him to be here. But I also know he has other opportunities, and I wouldn’t hold him back from that because I care about him.”
It’s unclear exactly how much power either Wolf or McKenzie will have in Oakland in the near future. At his introductory press conference earlier today, new Raiders head coach Jon Gruden indicated he and McKenzie will share control of the club’s roster.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/9/18
Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2018 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters:
Carolina Panthers
- TE Evan Baylis
- LB Richie Brown
- WR Austin Duke
- WR Jamaal Jones
- DE Efe Obada
- S Damian Parms
- CB Zack Sanchez
- S Dezmen Southward
- TE Kent Taylor
Cleveland Browns
- DL Collin Bevins
Kansas City Chiefs
- TE Jace Amaro
- RB George Atkinson
- WR Daniel Braverman
- WR Gehrig Dieter
- TE Anthony Firkser
- LB Tyrone Holmes
- G Kaleb Johnson
- T Dillon Gordon
- DT Mike Purcell
- CB Will Redmond
- T Andrew Wylie
New Orleans Saints
Oakland Raiders
- DB Shaquille Richardson
Philadelphia Eagles
- C Jon Toth
Washington Redskins
- DB Kenny Ladler
Raiders Make Offer To Eliot Wolf
Eliot Wolf didn’t get the Packers’ GM job, but he remains a popular man around the league. Wolf has an offer to join the Raiders’ front office, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Wolf is currently in Cleveland, where he is interviewing with GM John Dorsey. Meanwhile, the Packers and newly-promoted GM Brian Gutekunst want to retain the 35-year-old, but they will not stand in the way of him going elsewhere in the NFL.
Wolf is obviously blocked from taking the top job in Oakland or Cleveland, but he might be able to eek out a better salary from those clubs and exercise more authority over the scouting department than he would in Green Bay. If he does join either one of those teams, it’s a safe bet that he’ll demand a contract with the ability to interview for any GM opportunity that comes his way.
In the past, the Packers kept Wolf from opportunities with the Eagles and Lions. After being made to pass up those jobs only to get passed over, Wolf does not want to wind up in the same position again.
Raiders Interviewed USC’s Tee Martin
Before the Raiders hired Jon Gruden, they interviewed a pair of minority candidates to satisfy the league’s Rooney Rule. Initially, the only coach identified was tight ends coach Bobby Johnson. We now know that the other “mystery” coach was USC offensive coordinator Tee Martin (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). 
Martin, 39, played quarterback at the University of Tennessee and spent his first two years in college as Peyton Manning‘s backup. In 2000, he was drafted in the fifth round by the Steelers. His NFL career didn’t go as planned, but he did go on to spend time with the Eagles and Raiders. He also has the dubious distinction of being one of six QBs to be drafted before Patriots superstar Tom Brady in ’00.
This past year, Martin’s Trojans offense ranked 13th nationally. For all of his football acumen, it’s unlikely that he ever had a real chance of getting the Raiders’ head coaching job.