Jon Gruden still likes Oakland Raiders job the most
The Oakland Raiders are expected to go after some of the biggest names in the offseason to fill their head coaching vacancy, as owner Mark Davis will definitely want to nail his next pick in the biggest way possible. We’ve already seen reports of Mike Holmgren checking out the facilities, and the Jon Gruden reunion rumors won’t cease anytime soon.
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Earlier today, it was reported that Gruden tried to get the Raiders to draft Johnny Manziel in the first round of the draft, but Reggie McKenzie wisely decided to pick up an elite defensive difference-maker in Khalil Mack before nabbing Derek Carr in the second round. Both picks were home-run choices, with Carr being a huge steal in the early second round, and I think he’s a better prospect than Manziel. Gruden could be vindicated if Manziel does an excellent job of leading the Cleveland Browns when given a chance, but it’s especially interesting to see that he advised the Raiders to take Johnny Football.
The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, who had the Gruden-Manziel scoop, reports that Gruden told a “close friend” that the Raiders are still his top choice. He stated that if there’s just one team he decides to bolt his gig at ESPN for, then it would be the Raiders. It will be interesting to see if the Raiders decision to draft Carr over Manziel affects Gruden’s consideration of choosing the team if given a job offer, but I don’t think it will affect the Raiders consideration of him, assuming he’s willing to join. Reggie McKenzie will probably be fired by then, as the Raiders will want a marquee HC-GM combo, and you can only get a top head coach if you fire your current GM. But, as always, everything comes down to Mark Davis.