Oakland Raiders taking a big risk, have to hope for a big reward

The Oakland Raiders flipped a pick to take a guy with big talent, but who is also a big risk – now, they must sit back and hope for a big reward.

Oakland Raiders HC Jon Gruden and GM Reggie McKenzie made a bold and surprising move in the first-round of the Draft. It’s a move that comes with some potentially huge upside – but one that also carries a tremendous amount of risk.

The Raiders traded out of the top ten, making a deal with Arizona to move back five spots, picking up a third and fifth-round pick for their troubles. Many feel McKenzie didn’t get enough from the Cardinals to slide out of the top-ten, but that’s fodder for another debate, another time.

McKenzie and Gruden wasted no time though, in putting their newfound draft capital to work for them, sending that third-round pick (seventy-ninth overall) to Pittsburgh for wide receiver Martavis Bryant.

It’s a move that gives the Raiders a fearsome trio of wideouts as Bryant joins Amari Cooper and Jordy Nelson, but it’s also a move that could potentially give the team fits and headaches.

But, Bryant comes in with a ton of baggage.

After signing Daryl Worley, who was recently arrested, and now trading for Bryant, McKenzie and Gruden have gone out of their way to talk about giving people second chances – which is all well and good. Perhaps, noble even. People do deserve second chances.

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In Bryant’s case though, we’re looking at guy who missed four games in 2015 after violating the league’s substance abuse policy – and was then suspended for the entire 2016 season after violating the policy again.

To bastardize and old phrase – Aldon Smith us once, shame on you. Aldon Smith us twice, shame on Reggie.

More than that though, this is a guy who, after being reinstated, made waves last season by calling out teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster, complained loudly about his role on the team, skipped team meetings – was deactivated for a game for his conduct – and publicly demanded a trade.

Suffice it to say, Bryant was not a good teammate. And coming off a season in which tension, locker-room drama, and bad teammates helped destroy team chemistry and sink the Raiders, it was believed that repairing those cracks and rebuilding the trust, chemistry, and camaraderie among the team was critical.

For his part, Bryant is saying all the right things right now.

"“I’ve got a lot to prove. I don’t want to be just a one-dimensional player. I have a lot to work on, all aspects of my game. I’m going to do that, just to prove to myself that I can be great. It’s a blessing and an honor. It just shows that they kept faith in me and they got faith in me, and also that I believe in myself. Things aren’t going to be easy, things are always not easy, but you’ve got to just keep fighting and keep working, and I’m going to be all right. I’m going to handle my business, come to work here and prepare and go out and handle my business as a man.”"

And perhaps a change of scenery and a fresh start is all that Bryant needs to reboot his life and his career. Maybe, he’ll be sufficiently motivated to keep his head down, be a good citizen, be a good teammate, and provide Derek Carr and this offense with a punch it needs.

There’s no question that Bryant has talent. At six-foot-four, 211 pounds, Bryant has a terrific combination of size and speed. He is electric when he gets the ball in his hands, and can make plays. There’s no question that he can add a dimension this offense is missing.

The caveat to the above statement though, is – if he can keep his head on straight.

With Pittsburgh last season, Bryant’s gripe was that he wasn’t included enough in the offensive gameplan. That he wasn’t utilized or targeted often enough for his liking. This, despite that fact that his 84 targets ranked third on the team behind Antonio Brown (163) and Le’Veon Bell (104).

Which begs the question – although he’s putting his best foot forward and saying all the right things at the moment, how is Bryant going to react when the lights actually come on?

Gruden has already stated that the passing game is going to run through Cooper. Nelson figures to get a fair share of looks, and let’s not forget Jared Cook, who will see some targets. All of which means that Bryant will once again be the third option in this offense. At best.

More than likely, given the variety of weapons Carr will have at his disposal, Bryant may not even see the 84 targets he got in Pittsburgh.

If and when it becomes clear to him that he’s just a cog in the machine, how is that all going to play out? We saw how it played out in Pittsburgh – and it didn’t play out well.

There’s also the practical side of the matter. McKenzie says he feels like they “drafted” Bryant, by flipping a third-round pick for him. He may feel that way, but nothing is further from reality.

Bryant is playing out the final year of his rookie deal, which will earn him a reasonable $1.9 million for the year. A bargain for a guy with his talent, sure.

Next year though, when he’s able to hit the open market, there’s no question that Bryant is going to be looking to go somewhere he can be the number one he feels he is, and get paid like it – or at least, as close to it as he can.

It’s more or less a guarantee at this point, that he’s going to command more than $2 million dollars on the open market – somebody will inevitably throw a lot of money at this guy. And with big dollar deals for Carr and Gabe Jackson on the books, a bigger deal for Khalil Mack coming up – and let’s not forget a big money deal for Amari Cooper on the not-too-distant horizon – can the Raiders feasibly find a way to pay him and not mortgage the future?

Next: Gruden Using The Draft To Fortify The Trenches

From an objective standpoint, there really is not a lot to like about this deal. Yeah, Bryant will undoubtedly add some sizzle and pop to the offense this year. But, at what cost? And what then?

It’s entirely likely that he moves on next season, unless the Raiders can give him a compelling financial reason to stay. This is also assuming, he doesn’t become the circus sideshow distraction he was in Pittsburgh. This is also assuming, he can keep his nose clean and stay out of the league’s disciplinary mechanisms.

There are a lot of if’s surrounding Bryant’s acquisition, and too few guarantees. With a number of talented receivers on the board, the Raiders could have snapped one up with that seventy-ninth overall pick and had him on board at a low cost for the next four seasons – one that doesn’t come in with the baggage Bryant is carrying.

Basically, Gruden and McKenzie swapped a third-round pick that could have been used on young talent that could be groomed and molded, for a guy with a bad reputation — a reputation entirely of his own creation, mind you — who very well may turn out to be a one-year rental.

What is the sense in that?

The potential for a big reward is certainly there. Bryant is an extremely talented receiver. Of that, there is absolutely no question.

But, all that can be hoped for at this point is that those potential rewards outweigh the risks that come with it.

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