Oakland Raiders: Jon Gruden isn’t nuts, he’s just playing the long game

The Oakland Raiders have had an interesting offseason, to say the least, and it’s left many wondering – what is he actually doing?

Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden has made some rather interesting moves this offseason as he shakes up the roster – and the organization as a whole. Some of his moves have been sound and solid. Others – well – other moves seem to be a bit less sound, and a bit less solid. At least, on the surface of things.

As we look at the whole tapestry of his organizational shake-up, people are wondering if he’s gone a little soft in the head after a decade in the broadcast booth, and if he’s really out of touch with today’s game.

And perhaps, more to the point – what in the hell is he doing?

As frustrating and mind-boggling as some of Gruden’s moves have been to this point, it’s important to look at the bigger picture in play here. The pieces he’s moving around, both in and out, all serve a purpose. Somehow, someway, the crowd of bodies Gruden has brought in as he turns the roster over, all fit into the master puzzle he’s got working in his mind.

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And yes, as frustrating and mind-numbing as it is to see the team lose a player of Michael Crabtree‘s caliber and production, while retaining a player who’s offered as little as a Shilique Calhoun, it’s all being done with a higher purpose in mind.

A higher purpose it’s sometimes difficult to swallow and even harder to see. Granted.

See, Gruden is a lot of things, but one thing he’s not, is stupid. And everything he’s doing now, is laying the foundation for the long game he’s actually playing – that long game, courtesy of the luxury of having a ten-year commitment from the team.

If we’re trying to read the tea leaves and decipher what it is Gruden is attempting to do, you need look no further than some comments he’s made about being “envious” of the Patriots and the “Patriot Way.”

"“Oh man, I’m envious of the Patriots, I really am. The Patriot Way — finding players that are versatile. Finding players that can adapt on a weekly basis to win a game. They don’t care how they beat you, either… It all starts with Belichick and Tom Brady, certainly.”The “Patriot Way” that he envies so much, is consistency in all things, players who unquestioningly put the team first, will do things precisely how Gruden lays it out, and being technically, as well as fundamentally, sound."

Which seems to be, if you stop and think about it, exactly what he’s trying to re-create in Oakland. A West Coast version of the Patriots. And, can you blame him? For a decade and a half, New England has been the model of consistency and dominance.

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If we offered the Raider Nation a team that was dominant for nearly two decades, has won 15 division titles, played in eight Super Bowls – and won five of them, all since 2001 – we’re guessing there isn’t a Silver and Black-clad fan who would turn their nose up at the idea.

Think about it though – one of the first things he talked about, after he was (re)introduced as Oakland’s head man, was that the lack of continuity and consistency has been a major stumbling block for this team. And he’s not wrong.

Let’s not even talk about the revolving door in the HC’s office after his first departure, let’s talk about after a successful, playoff year in 2016. You would have thought the team would be able to dig in and build on that success. Right?

Well, if you’d thought that, you were quickly proven wrong.

Even though the Raiders broke their playoff drought in 2016, the following year, Carr had to adjust to yet another offensive coordinator and yet another new system as former HC Jack Del Rio let OC Bill Musgrave walk in favor of supposed innovative mind, Todd Downing.

Yeah, and we saw just how innovative that abomination of a hire turned out.

With all of that running around in your mind, take a look at this quote from a Gruden interview back in February, and things start to make a little more sense – at least, big picture-wise.

"“We also, I think, need to put in a system in place here that our players can grow within. We’ve had ten different head coaches, I believe, since I’ve been here. We’ve had a number of different offensive coaches and poor Reggie McKenzie has had to draft different players to fit different schemes and systems. I think that’s hurt us.”"

Now, given the fact that Gruden has a ten-year pact with Mark Davis, he has the luxury of time to implement a system his hand-picked players can grow in. We can see that on the offensive side of the ball, with the addition of a Jordy Nelson and a Keith Smith.

But, we can see that perhaps, more extensively, on the defensive side of the ball, as Gruden and his defensive coordinator, Paul Guenther, have been busy bringing players who not only fit the system, but already have experience within it and can teach it to the younger players.

Put in that context, it makes the signings of Reggie Nelson – who most fans wouldn’t spit on if he were on fire – Emmanuel Lamur, and most recently, 34-year old Leon Hall, make a whole lot more sense. All three played – and had success – in Guenther’s system with the Bengals.

It’s entirely possible that one, or all, of those three might not make the final 53-man roster. Though, given the area of need, his youth and versatility, Lamur seems to have a better than average shot. Which could mean that Nelson and Hall are there simply to lay the groundwork of implementing Guenther’s system with a young secondary.

It’s unlikely, even if they do make the final roster out of camp, that they’ll see anything resembling significant – or perhaps, any – time on the field.

Gruden will fill the foundation he’s laying with players who best fit it, either via free agency or the Draft. And, in doing so, the hope is that he creates a model of consistency and longevity with players who can not only adapt and conform to, but thrive in that system.

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You know, sort of – okay, well exactly – like the Patriots.

So, what does all of this mean? Well, as they say, Rome was not built in a day. Nor, was the Patriots dynasty was not built in one season.

Which means, fans may need to temper their expectations for the coming year. Although Donald Penn has already guaranteed a spot in the playoffs – and hey, they could possibly get there – there is a lot more work to be done before Gruden is able to create the sort of stability and dominance the Patriots have, and he longs for.

What it means, is that there could possibly be some bumps in the road that need to be smoothed out before we see the sort of consistency he’s trying to create.

Gruden is attempting to become Bill Belichcik 2.0 – an upgraded version complete with a personality. He’s counting on Derek Carr to be his Tom Brady, and he’s trying to flesh out his roster with players who have that Swiss Army Knife, all in, team first, mentality.

It’s not going to happen overnight, and the team is not in a win-now, at all costs mode. It may even take a couple of seasons to see the team really reaping the benefits of the approach he’s taking. What Gruden seems to be trying to build – New England West – will take a little bit of time and patience.

But, he’s playing the long game. And why not? He’s got what a lot of NFL coaches don’t have – the luxury of time.