Oakland Raiders: Gruden is either insane, or he’s crazy like a fox

Oakland Raiders HC Jon Gruden’s offseason has left many skeptical and wondering if the game’s passed him by – but is he actually just crazy like a fox?

Former Oakland Raiders HC Jack Del Rio endeared himself to many in the Raider Nation with his penchant for rolling the dice and taking some risks on the field. Fans liked the way he gambled and took some daring chances – and pulled out a few big wins in the process.

Old/New HC Jon Gruden has taken up that riverboat gambler mentality and has applied it to his first offseason as pretty much, the undisputed Master of the Raiders Universe.

Gruden has shaken this Raiders roster down to its very core, jettisoning players like David Amerson, Marquette King, and Sebastian Janikowski, among many others. And in their place, he’s brought in a mixture of creaky old veterans, solid young talent, and players that are bringing some serious baggage through the doors with them.

Understand, this is a roster with some serious risks. But, a roster with some incredibly high upside as well.

In years past, with GM Reggie McKenzie crafting the roster, pretty much on his own, it’s fair to say that he played things pretty safe. He didn’t rock the boat, or bring in players who had sketchy stories in their past. On the job since 2012, it seems like the biggest risk McKenzie took was bringing Aldon Smith in from across across the Bay.

Whether it be via free agency, or the draft, the perpetually risk-averse McKenzie walked a pretty straight and narrow line, eschewing risks and red flags at nearly every turn.

On the job since December – that’s what, about five months now? – Gruden has taken more risks and chances than McKenzie has in his entire tenure. He’s swinging for the fences, while McKenzie has been content just putting the ball in play.

This is not to say that either way is inherently better than the other. Both approaches have their pros, and both approaches have their cons. The only edge you have to give Gruden for this crazy first draft, is that arguably, the ceiling for this team is higher than at any point of Oakland’s McKenzie-run drafts.

Given his track record, it seems fair to say that McKenzie likely would have never gone within a mile of Arden Key. And yet, Key could wind up, outside of Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin, one of Oakland’s steadiest and most ferocious pass rushers.

If, he can keep his head on straight and rediscover his 2016 form.

Given his track record, McKenzie most definitely wouldn’t have traded up to take P.J. Hall in the second-round. And yet, Hall could turn out to be a valuable piece in the middle of that rebuilt Oakland front. One that could finally help provide the inside pass rushing presence the Raiders have needed and lacked for so long. An inside pass rushing presence that can help unlock Mack’s true potential.

If, he can play up to the level he did at Sam Houston State.

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Given his track record, McKenzie never would have flipped a draft pick to take on a player who’s been a headcase and locker room distraction like Martavis Bryant. And yet, Bryant has the potential to make this offense seriously pop. With his size and speed, he gives Derek Carr a viable downfield, big play threat to pair with Amari Cooper.

If, he can keep his head on straight.

Given his track record, McKenize – nahhh, even McKenzie wouldn’t have passed on picking up a potential elite talent like Maurice Hurst in the fifth-round. Right?

Surely, you get the gist of it by now.

Gruden’s draft is filled with inherent risks and red flags. The kind of risks and red flags McKenzie very likely would have never rolled the dice on.

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We watched as Gruden brought in risky free agents like Daryl Worley – arrested just days after being arrested and subsequently cut by the Eagles. Like so many others Gruden has restocked this roster with, Worley has a ton of upside and potential, but comes in with some baggage.

Outside of the 2014 draft that netted him Derek Carr, Khalil Mack, and Gabe Jackson (and Amari Cooper in 2015) McKenzie’s draft picks have mostly had one thing in common – they were mostly “safe” picks. Picks that didn’t come in with a lot of red flags or risk factors associated with them.

Those “safe” picks though, have been less than productive and have contributed very little overall. Few have shown themselves to have a high ceiling, or an ability to be an impact player on the field. In point of fact, quite a few of those draft picks aren’t even with the Raiders anymore.

Gruden went way off-trail with his picks this year and it’s a draft class that has a tremendously high ceiling. But it’s a draft class also fraught with plenty of peril.

The 2014 draft laid a solid foundation for this team to build upon. Gruden’s 2018 draft class though, could potentially be transformative.

With a rebuilt defense that – at least on paper – looks like it could become dominant, and an offense that can – again, on paper – looks like it can light it up, Gruden’s offseason acquisitions in both the draft and free agency could help this team take that next step toward becoming consistent contenders.

Or, it could blow up in everybody’s face in spectacular fashion.

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That’s the problem with a boom-or-bust draft class like this – it has the potential to either be a big, big hit, or an even bigger miss.

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result. That kind of fits McKenzie’s draft history, more or less – taking marginal players with low ceilings and hoping they outperform expectations.

Well, if there’s one thing you can say today, it’s that Gruden has gone and done something completely different than how McKenzie has been doing things. Way, way different. The question now becomes – will it yield better results?

Gruden’s offseason maneuvering has prompted many to ask whether he’s gone nuts, if the game has passed him by, or if he just doesn’t know what he’s doing. But, if there’s one thing we know about Gruden, it’s that he loves the game of football, knows it inside and out, and he always, always has a plan.

He might be insane, but you couldn’t be blamed for betting on the idea that maybe, just maybe, he’s just crazy like a fox.