Oakland Raiders: Jon Gruden is out of his mind

LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 18: Head coach Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders coaches from the sideline during the first half of a preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on August 18, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

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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) /

Out of his mind

Yes, Jon Gruden is out of his mind. He has to be. There is very little rhyme or reason to think that a 1990s style team can win in the 2010s NFL. The way the salary cap and front offices operate are completely different.

A case can be made for paying Khalil Mack and Derek Carr while still having enough cap room to operate. Teams are built differently than in 1998. They need to do different things to win. They need to rush the passer. The reality is that Gruden either didn’t want to pay Mack, didn’t believe he could afford both under the current salary cap rules or thought that a pass rusher was not that important.

But this is what happens when you operate a team like it is 1998. The cap does not function the same it did in 1998. There are ways to manipulate the cap, contracts and bonuses to make a deal happen if both sides want it. Derek Carr left money deliberately on the table for other players. Its not hard to read between the lines and say Carr left money so the Raiders could sign Mack.

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To not keep Mack and then lament that pass rushers are hard to find is an example of just how out of touch Gruden is to the value of a pass rusher. It’s not ground and pound anymore. The league became a passing league. Teams need a pass rusher to compete.

Jon Gruden needs to call up his old boss Mike Holmgren and ask some tough questions. The day Gruden fires himself from personnel decisions cannot come too soon.

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