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Oakland Raiders: Jon Gruden set to return to Silver and Black

By Danny Jaillet

OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 18: Former head coach of the Oakland Raiders and now ESPN Monday Night Football Analyst Jon Gruden looks on during pre-game warm ups before an NFL football game between the New Orleans Saints and Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum on November 18, 2012 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 18: Former head coach of the Oakland Raiders and now ESPN Monday Night Football Analyst Jon Gruden looks on during pre-game warm ups before an NFL football game between the New Orleans Saints and Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum on November 18, 2012 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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After much speculation, Jon Gruden is headed back to familiar territory in a blockbuster deal that could turn the NFL and the Oakland Raiders upside down.

Jon Gruden is back in the National Football League. Gruden is set to become the next head coach of the Oakland Raiders. The former ESPN analyst is expected to sign a 10-year, $100 million deal on Tuesday when it is made official. It is the longest coaching deal in the history of the league, per a report from ESPN.

Gruden was the head coach of the Raiders from 1998-2001, before taking over the reins as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, replacing Tony Dungy. He won the Super Bowl the following year, defeating the Raiders by a 48-21 score.

The announcement comes less than a week after the Raiders fired head coach Jack Del Rio on Sunday. There had been multiple reports over the past couple of days linking the Raiders to Gruden, and the rumors continued to swirl last Saturday as the reports intensified.

Sunday, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter told ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt on Sportscenter “Jon Gruden is going to be the next coach of the Oakland Raiders. The only question is when it happens.”

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This is a very intriguing and interesting move on the part of the Raiders. For one, the rumors can be finally put to bed. There had been speculation going on for several years now that Gruden and the Raiders would reunite someday. The latter has said publicly many times that he wanted to return to coaching in the NFL. He added fuel to the fire this summer when he talked about the prospect of coming back to coach with PewterReport.com, a Tampa Bay Buccaneers news site.

"“I’ve met with several people – I won’t deny that,” Gruden said. “People – just about every year I talk about coming back to coach. I’m not in here every day at 4:30 or 4:00 in the morning watching pinball. You know? I’m preparing myself to come back. I am. Every day. I’m preparing to come back."

Judging by the length of the deal, it appears that the Raiders are on-board with allowing Gruden to mold the team the way he sees fit. He has plenty of talent at his disposal. Derek Carr, Jared Cook, and Amari Cooper are three solid players that you can build around on the offensive side of the football. Defensively, players like Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin allow for potency and playmaking. There are pieces for success in Oakland.

One has to wonder however, if the game has passed Gruden by. Yes, he has been analyzing football for the past couple years and he is very knowledgeable about the game. Particularly with the quarterback position, he is known for helping in development. However, analysis and live-game action are two different things. The game has changed considerably since the last time he coached. It will be interesting to see if he can adapt or not.

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The Raiders have made a splash, one that could change the landscape of the NFL sooner rather than later. They finally have their man and with a plethora of talent, the future is looking bright for the Silver and Black.

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