The Oakland Raiders have understandably received scathing criticism for trading star defensive end Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears prior to the 2018 NFL season. To make matter worse, all head coach Jon Gruden has done since then is stoke the flames of the current dumpster fire.
Gruden has acknowledged Oakland's difficulties with pressuring quarterbacks thus far. However, he added fuel to the flame after his recent comments regarding the difficulty in finding an elite pass-rusher, via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk:
“It’s hard to find a great one. It’s hard to find a good one. It’s hard to find one,” Gruden said. “College football now, they’re not really dropping back to pass and throwing footballs anymore. They’re throwing laterals and they’re throwing bubble screens and they’re throwing read options. So you’ve got to train these guys. It takes a little time to learn how to rush the passer. We’ve got some guys that are in that process right now.”
Needless to say, there are a number of reasons why Gruden's comments are nothing short of laughable. In fact, they are so ironic that some have seriously questioned whether or not he is doing it on purpose at this point. Regardless, it is just further proof of how badly the Raiders messed this one up.
Not only did they already have exactly what they needed in Mack, but Gruden has acknowledged that finding his replacement will be even more difficult. It should also be noted that his opinion on college football is hysterically out of touch considering college teams often pass more than pro teams do. Meanwhile, Oakland currently ranks next to last in the NFL with just two sacks through the first two games.
The sting of Mack's departure is not likely to subside any time soon. However, Gruden's comments on the matter simply continue to add salt to the Raiders' wounds.
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