Jon Gruden has been questioned, mocked, and belittled since taking over the helm in Oakland last offseason. He kicked off his tenure by trading away their best defensive player in Khalil Mack and budding star wideout Amari Cooper. Again, he was mocked, questioned, belittled.
This offseason the Oakland Raiders have made arguably the biggest splashes in free agency. They’ve traded for Antonio Brown and signed the likes of Lamarcus Joyner and Trent Brown. Oh yeah, don’t forget, the Silver and Black have three first round picks in April’s 2019 NFL Draft.
Why am I telling you all this? It’s simple. I wish the Arizona Cardinals had a leader like Jon Gruden. No, not just because of the brazen “nobody is safe” mentality that Gruden rocked the Bay Area with upon his arrival. Chucky is a move-maker. He’s taking his team by the neck and guiding it into the direction he sees most positive and profitable for the future.
I’d much rather fail with conviction than be a C+ student my whole life. The Arizona Cardinals are made up of C+, “play it safe so I don’t ruffle any feathers” students. Granted, the free agent signing by the Arizona Cardinals are much improved in comparison to last season. Let’s be honest though. Signing Terrell Suggs alone would have beaten all of the offseason efforts from last season by a mile.
I’m not saying that what is going on in Oakland will work out, nor am I saying that the Cardinals are doomed. I’m only mentioning the fact that making splashes during free agency and trading away talent for more draft pieces aren’t always exercises in futility. Sometimes, those exercises are how dynasties are built.