Getty Jon Gruden & Mike Mayock of the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Las Vegas Raiders are doomed to be criticized for every move until they make the playoffs again. That’s what happens when a team makes the playoffs once in almost two decades. Things have been looking up for the team. They’ve increased their total wins in each year under Jon Gruden and 2021’s squad is looking solid.
However, they still tend to make moves that make them an easy target for the media. On Monday, it was revealed that the Raiders are cutting linebacker Tanner Muse. The 2020 third-round pick hasn’t even played a game yet so many see this as wasted draft capital. Add to the fact that the Raiders traded third-round pick Lynn Bowden before he played a down last year, and many had a field day ripping on Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock.
Has there been a single team in the NFL who has done a better job of throwing away high round draft picks than the Raiders lately?
Good Lord, man. Gruden & Mayock have been a mess.
Some are even suggesting that Mayock could be gone if the Raiders miss the playoffs again.
Jon Gruden is not on the hot seat for @Raiders
Derek Carr is not on the hot seat for Raiders
Mike Mayock is
Prediction: If Raiders fail to make the playoffs this year, Mike Mayock will be gone. Jon Gruden will stay. @OldTakesExposed.
The raiders took Lynn Bowden, Tanner Muse and Bryan Edwards in 2020 R3
Edwards remains
Bowden and Muse do not — combined, they netted the Raiders a 2-round move-up from R6 to R4 in April’s draft
Curious how many more dud drafts Mayock will get before he returns to our industry
Teams make bad draft picks all the time but the Raiders do it in a very public and frequent way. Also, there hasn’t proven to be a method to their madness. A playoff berth this season would cure a lot of issues for the silver and black.
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Mayock Has Struggled in the Draft
There’s no other way to spin it: Mayock should be stressed about his job status heading into the season. He put together a solid draft in 2019 by finding gems like Maxx Crosby, Foster Moreau and Hunter Renfrow. However, that class also included Johnathan Abram and Clelin Ferrell in the first round. As of right now, neither guy has played like a first-round pick.
The 2020 draft didn’t look nearly as good as the 2019 one did. Henry Ruggs was the first wide receiver selected in a loaded class and was outplayed by several different rookies at the position. Damon Arnette was also a first-round pick and played about as badly as a rookie cornerback could play. There wasn’t a single player from the draft class that stepped up and two of the team’s third-round picks from the year are already off the roster. Mayock better hope that the 2021 class is a hit or his status as a draft expert will be seriously questioned.
Gruden Deserves a Chunk of Blame
While Mayock will be the fall guy if the Raiders miss the playoffs again, Gruden deserves a ton of blame. Everybody knows that he’s the man in charge and nobody has even tried to hide that fact. We don’t know exactly how much he dictates what the Raiders do in the draft but he’s certainly got a big say.
Gruden isn’t going on any hot seat anytime soon. The Raiders gave him a 10-year contract so he’s still got plenty of time before he’ll really feel the pressure. However, that does not absolve him. Simply put, Las Vegas has to get to the playoffs this season. If not, there needs to be serious changes.
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