Jon Gruden came under more criticism than he could’ve ever thought possible when he decided to trade Oakland Raiders star pass rusher Khalil Mack. Many felt that he gave away a bonafide Hall of Fame player for a handful of draft picks. Sure it included a couple first rounders, but those guarantee nothing unless you pick good players with them.
Things have only gotten worse since. The Raiders defense has been utterly hapless the first month of the season. As a team, they have five sacks, three forced fumbles, three interceptions, and a touchdown. Mack has five sacks, four forced fumbles and an interception for a touchdown by himself.
Gruden hasn’t handled the reports out of Chicago well. In fact, according to Mike Silver of NFL.com, the head coach had a rather honest reaction when news came out that Mack had delivered a strip-sack against the Buccaneers on Sunday, making it his fourth-straight.
“Damn — Khalil Mack had another strip sack?” Gruden asked rhetorically, shaking his head at the Oakland Raiders assistant coaches in his midst. “Are you … kidding me?”
No, Jon. They’re not kidding you. Shortly afterward, Gruden managed to win his first game of the year in a 45-42 shootout with the Cleveland Browns. A game where his defense gave up 487 yards of offense to a pair of rookies in Baker Mayfield and Nick Chubb. If that’s not a sobering thought amidst victory, nothing is.
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Perhaps this is a lesson. Draft picks are fun and can be priceless when you know how to use them. However, the end game never changes. They’re used to find great players. What sense does it make to trade a great player for the chance to get a couple more great players? This may end up being one of the darker moments of Gruden’s career.
