Source: ESPN
Jon Gruden has been known as a powerhouse in spotting talent in the past. So, why has Coach Gruden failed so horribly this year with highly talented guys who cannot stay on the Oakland Raiders? He has lost two very talented guys within a month.
In a word, character . . . Gruden chose two talented guys in both Antonio Brown and Vontaze Burfict who lack character. While talent can help someone have quick success in the National Football League, lack of character will kill that success with all of its trappings just as quickly. Coach Gruden surely knows that.
In his first stint with the Oakland Raiders, Gruden compiled 40 wins out of 68 games for a 59% win average. He, then, went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where Gruden won 62 games out of 117 including the Super Bowl in 2002. His career stats in Tampa place him at 53% win average. So, Gruden definitely knows how to win. He knows how to coach and how to support his players. The problem isn’t Gruden. The problem is the players he is now choosing to play for him and supporting their diva behaviors.
Antonio Brown was an issue for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The whole world watched him be an issue for the Steelers. That should have been a red flag for Gruden, but Gruden evidently felt he could cater and guide Brown into being a successful wide receiver. But then, Brown blew up at Mike Mayock, General Manager of the Oakland Raiders, calling him the “c” word and challenged him to fine him. Refusing to be suspended for his bad behavior, Brown asked to be released. So, Brown was released from duties with the Oakland Raiders.
Now, Gruden is supporting Vontaze Burfict. But Burfict has a record of illegal hits against opponents. Since 2013, Burfict has been fined more than $249,000 for player safety violations as well as being suspended. For the vicious helmet-to-helmet hit on Jack Doyle, Burfict has been suspended for the rest of the 2019 season. Burfict is the RW Tom Wilson of the NFL. And yet, Gruden (and Derek Carr) was trying to tell the NFL Burfict’s suspension was too harsh.
Both of these guys lack character . . . Brown with his entitlement attitude and Burfict by his lack of impulse control. And until Coach Gruden gets control of his locker room and his choice of players, the Raiders are going to keep finding themselves in this situation.