The Oakland Raiders, under the leadership of Jon Gruden, have now traded both Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper, two of the supposed franchise cornerstones. That just leaves quarterback Derek Carr as the last cornerstone left standing, and the speculation has already begun regarding his future in Oakland.
However, Gruden said per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk that he doesn’t anticipate the Raiders making any other trades and “certainly” does not think the team is going to trade Carr.
If these comments sound somewhat familiar, it’s that Gruden also said the Raiders weren’t going to trade Cooper amid rumors but ended up doing so just a few days later. Gruden explained that “opportunities present themselves” which changed their stance on Cooper.
Seeing as how Gruden, who is the chief decision-maker in Oakland these days, had change of heart with Cooper so quickly, it hardly seems out of the question that he could do the same with Carr in the last week before the trade deadline. At this point, he seems committed to tearing down the entire team in order to accrue draft picks, so why should Carr be any different.
If the Raiders do end up trading Carr in the coming days, it should also spell the end for any remaining credibility Gruden has left after outright denying any plans to do get rid of the quarterback. He failed to follow through with his statements on both Mack and Cooper, so the third trade to a third star should be the final straw.
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