Raiders players question Gruden's 'accountability' after Cooper trade
Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden has certainly made his mark on the team since being hired in January.
His changes to the roster started with the signings of 24 veteran players in the offseason, making the Raiders the NFL's oldest team by average age. He then sent two-time All-Pro and 2016 Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears for draft picks prior to the start of the season, and on Monday, shipped two-time Pro Bowl receiver Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys for a first-round pick.
The changes have left many Raiders players questioning Gruden's "accountability" when it comes to the moves he's made, according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic.
"Of course I'm concerned about the locker room," tight end Lee Smith said. "I am a leader on this team and I am under contract next year, but more importantly I care about all my teammates. I care about Rodney Hudson, Gabe Jackson, Derek Carr, Bruce Irvin, all of them. And I know how hard guys work all year. Guys don't work their ass off year-round because they are worried about the team being good in two or three years, they work hard to win. Now."
Veterans on the team take issue with Gruden's handling of the trades, Tafur adds. The head coach publicly denied Cooper was being shopped roughly a week before the receiver was sent to Dallas, and he didn't notify his players when the trade was made, leaving some scrambling to see the news on their phone.
"Nobody was happy when we traded Khalil. And nobody is happy that we traded Amari. How could you be? You never ever want to trade elite, homegrown talent," said Smith. "But Coach Gruden is thinking long term. It's no secret that he got a 10-year contract. And having five first-rounders in the next two years is pretty good. ... And he has been clear about his open-door policy. If guys have a problem with this trade, they can go sit in his office and tell him."
The Raiders sport a 1-5 record through the first seven weeks of the season and are coming off their bye. However, Gruden remains adamant that they're not tanking.
"Our job is not to second-guess what coach Gruden and (general manager) Reggie McKenzie do," Smith said. "Our job is to play football. Hopefully, these last 10 games, the young players on this team watch and learn how to play hard and be a pro in times of adversity.”