Midway through Jon Gruden’s first season with the Raiders in 2018, he boasted to former Raiders standout defensive lineman Howie Long about how players are “dying to play for the Raiders.” He made it sound as if he would be turning away players. Two years later, the Raiders head coach still has yet to offer
Where are all those players Jon Gruden said are ‘dying to play for the Raiders?’
A team absolutely needs difference makers. Players that are elite. Khalil Mack comes to mind (sorry, I had to say it).
Raiders in their glory years had difference maker scattered on their roster. I’m not going to list them all. You can probably guess.
These are players that play their best when the situation demands it (tight games, games vs. division rivals on the road, etc) Raiders are definitely still searching for these type of players. The young guys on this team hopefully will materialize. If not, Raiders are in trouble given plethora of draft picks last several years. You can’t miss on high draft picks. We will see.
Let’s be honest, the mystique of the Raiders is long, long gone. It has been a long time since the team was relevant – Only one year since 2002. Most of the other seasons we have been a train wreck or laughing stock.
It’s no surprise in the modern NFL, where the Patriots have dominated for so long and where previously downtrodden teams like the Saints have come to the fore. The Raiders are just another team for most players and probably below average as they cling to memories of far off Championships and don’t figure on the playoffs year by year.
The only way to be a “go to” venue is to be relevant and to win. Seriously, which NFL player wouldn’t want to be signing for the Chiefs right now?
Gruden needs to start winning consistently and then this might start to become a place where superstars want to play again…. let’s start with this season!!
Got to win first. It’s just that simple.
That helps, sure, but remember that Gruden’s first two years with the Raiders, they went 8-8, yet he had created a buzz that spread league-wide. It just hasn’t been that way this time around. Strange and unexpected.
Yup, yup, need to win to be a “destination place” for top notch FAs. It does not help that this team keeps churning its roster (although the churn is slowing). I think many players prefer teams that win, have the potential to win, and appear to be a (or ready to be a) perennial playoff team.
Teams weren’t tripping over themselves to sign Andre Rison or William Thomas back then. They were both good signings but as linebackers go, signing Littleton now, entering his prime, is a much bigger signing than Thomas was at the back end of his career.
The point with those two players is, they had options at the time, yet opted to sign with the Raiders. The counter is, with players such as Littleton, he jumped at top dollar, with no other known competitive offer. Good for Littleton, of course, but there’s a difference between “dying to play for the Raiders” and being paid a king’s ransom and then making that claim.