No franchise may be more eager to get back to their glory days than the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders won three Super Bowls thru the 70’s and 80’s, and enjoyed some success in the early 2000’s as well. The latter of which came under the leadership of head coach Jon Gruden. Between 1998 and 2001, Gruden led the Raiders to the playoffs three straight seasons, earning one trip to the Super Bowl. But that was then and this is now. “Chucky”, as he is affectionately known, has returned and much like the movie series which bares his namesake the body count has risen.
Cutting The Team To Shreds
The Raiders have parted ways with many key pieces in 2018. Before the season started they declined to re-sign long time kicker Sebastian Janikowski. Janikowski was fan favorite and the team’s longest tenured player. Soon after, Gruden, in an act of stubbornness, traded away what many believe to be the league’s most versatile defensive player in Khalil Mack. Mack was dealt to the Bears for a plethora of picks, mostly importantly a 2019 first rounder. Furthermore, at the trade deadline the Raiders traded wideout Amari Cooper to Dallas for yet another first round pick. Finally, just last week, they released maybe the only capable defensive player they have left in Bruce Irvin. The Raiders are currently 1-7 and these moves are big reasons why.
Seller’s Remorse
After making a myriad of befuddling moves the results are not surprising. The Raiders have struggled in what seems like every faze of the game. Their weaknesses seem to ironically have direct correlation to the personnel decisions they have made. Their offense has been inept and will only get worse without Cooper and a reliable kicking game. The pass rush is non-existent, a fact Gruden himself admitted in many post game interviews. However, that didn’t stop him from doubling down on his decisions to move away from Mack and Irvin.
The Bright Spot
Regardless of the hard times ahead for the Raiders, they do have something to be hopeful about. They have what many teams don’t have, that being a franchise quarterback. A quarterback that if you believe has the full backing of his coach will take them a long way. Furthermore, they also have three picks in the first round of the upcoming draft. This puts them in a great position to build the team their coach wants. Only time will tell if the Raiders will escape their own personal black hole, that being the 2018 NFL season.