Former Las Vegas Raiders guard Gabe Jackson’s apparently thrilled to be with the Seattle Seahawks. A fresh start’s always good but did he take an unnecessary jab at the Silver and Black?
Jackson joined the Raiders as part of that heralded rookie class of 2014. That haul was the beginning of a turnaround that eventually led to a playoff berth two years later in 2016. Fast forward to today and now only quarterback Derek Carr remains from that crop. ’66’ has moved on to one of the most respected and touted organizations, led by Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.
Putting things into perspective, during Jackson’s seven career seasons, the Seahawks never had a losing season. Their ‘worst’ year was in 2017, when they went 9-7. In contrast, the Raiders had only a winning season during that same run that ended with an early playoff elimination.
“They win. I want to be a part of an organization that’s like that.”
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Did Jackson take a jab or are we reading too much into this?
You can’t blame Jackson for being excited about his new squad, he’ll be blocking for a seven-time Pro Bowl quarterback after all. Nevertheless, as much of a mess as the Raiders have been, there are other factors at play as to why Jackson’s only experienced one winning season. The Silver and Black have long been marred by turmoil and this goes before Jackson was drafted. Al Davis’ mismanagement of his team took years to clean up, thanks largely due to Reggie McKenzie’s administration.
Then, after the team finally made it back to the playoffs, the wheels fell off combined with a relocation that got ugly publicly with the Bay Area. It’s only in the last two years that the team finds itself trending upward. Yes, the trend has been a slow one but it’s been upward nonetheless. In the Raiders’ defense, Jackson did receive an extension in 2017 that he didn’t quite live up to. Perhaps, this is one of those scenarios where both parties win. Jackson gets a fresh start and the Raiders have retained Richie Incognito and Denzelle Good to anchor the interior.
What are your thoughts on Jackson’s comments, Raider Nation? Was it something or nothing?
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*Top Photo: Tony Avelar/Associated Press