Oakland Raiders a cautionary tale of giving all power to coaches

Oakland Raiders fans may end up remembering September 1st, 2018 as one of the darkest days in the history of their franchise.

It was the day that the team traded star pass rusher Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears in exchange for multiple high draft choices. Early returns on how they faired? Not favorable. Most believe the team was outright fleeced by Chicago. Not only did the Bears get Mack, a top edge rusher in all of football, but also a 2nd round pick and conditional 5th in 2020 as well. In return, the Raiders received two 1st round picks, a 3rd round pick, and a 6th round pick.

Nothing about that deal says the Raiders came out looking better. Essentially they traded away a sure thing who was still in his prime for a series of maybes. Word is GM Reggie McKenzie was vehemently against the move but they went ahead with it anyway. Why? The simple fact that McKenzie isn’t calling the shots anymore. Those rights had been stripped and handed over to the teams’ new head coach, Jon Gruden.

Head coaches having full autonomy over a team isn’t a novel concept in the NFL. It’s happened several times over the years, but that doesn’t make it a good thing. Too many times in the past it’s been proven that good coaches don’t automatically make good general managers too. Those two jobs are completely different. Sure they both involve player evaluation, but GMs are vital when it comes to contract negotiations. Something coaches don’t enjoy.

This can lead to rash maneuver like, say, trading away a superstar because he wants a lucrative extension.

Jon Gruden was totally unprepared for the power Oakland gave him

If Gruden were a guy who’d been in the league for some time and had a reputation for player evaluation, one might understand the Raiders’ decision. The truth is he had neither. The man hadn’t been on an NFL sideline or in a locker room for 10 years, retiring in 2008 after a long run in Tampa Bay. A lot of things changed while he was out of the loop, particularly how players have learned to handle contract negotiations.

Now suddenly he comes back in demanding complete control of the team, something he never had during his first run, and getting it because he has a Super Bowl ring and prior history of winning in Oakland. Nobody pointed out that a lot of his success back then was thanks to the roster late owner and GM Al Davis put together for him at that time. Gruden didn’t have much to do with that part. So why would anybody think he can do what Davis, who had decades of experience by that point, did?

Hall of Fame head coach Bill Parcells understands perfectly well the landmine Gruden just stepped on. He too made demands of more executive power during his time in New England, something the Patriots weren’t willing to give up. His reasoning fits Gruden’s likely thinking.

"“If they want you to cook the dinner, at least they ought to let you shop for some of the groceries.”"

Except building a football team is way more complex and difficult than cooking a meal. Head coaches are already under a ton of stress from their workloads. Most can’t put in the proper time and effort necessary to scouts, evaluate, acquire and negotiate with players. That’s why the general manager position was invented in the first place. Yet for so many, due to ego or otherwise, they feel they can do it.

Now here the Raiders sit. Their best player is gone. The team looks thinner and more depleted than ever with no signs of hope beyond their young quarterback Derek Carr. Gruden better pray he can corral this apparent debacle. Otherwise, he won’t survive long enough to enjoy that $100 million contract he got.