November 5th can’t come soon enough. Why, you ask? Well, the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants will do battle within the confines of Allegiant Stadium on that date. Of note, former Raiders tight end Darren Waller will have a shot at some semblance of payback given what’s transpired this offseason. One particular person who’s been on the receiving end of a few verbal jabs is head coach Josh McDaniels. Let’s take a closer look, and while we’re at it, yes, as you might’ve heard, he’s back. We’re talking about the Silver and Black’s old head honcho, Jon Gruden. It appears we got some insight into what went down with his recent “return” to the NFL.
Josh McDaniels and the Raiders don’t value player’s opinions it seems…
While speaking with the media last week, Waller shared some interesting thoughts while speaking about his new home with the Giants. While he didn’t explicitly mention Josh McDaniels or the Raiders, it’s not hard to read between the lines. Darren Waller is the gift that keeps on giving at this point.
“Yeah, they value our opinions here. As a player, I feel like a lot of places I’ve gone, you’re told to do things a certain way, and you do those things. But here, it’s like, they ask a lot of questions. They want to know what you’re thinking and what you’d like to do more of. So, to offer input is a really cool thing because coaches and players have got to be in partnership. We’re all together and shouldn’t be clashing with each other. We’re all going in the same direction.”
McDaniels is far from the most popular figure within Raider Nation at the moment. Considering all of the blown leads last season with him at the forefront, can you blame the fans? There’s also this recurring notion that the team has jettisoned anyone that’s not deemed a “culture fit.” When you look at how the roster has been reconstructed with former New England Patriots up and down the team and the coaching staff, it’s hard not to make the argument. On the other hand, Darren Waller isn’t the first player to throw some underhanded shade at a former team; far from it. Still, all of this will be a theme when the Giants come to Las Vegas later this year.
Jon Gruden and Derek Carr—the reunion some Raiders fans wanted, right?
Two of the most polarizing figures in Raiders’ lore this side of the 21st century, Jon Gruden and Derek Carr, recently reunited. Yes, neither one of them is with the Raiders, but both are just as relevant as ever, especially Carr.
Carr’s current head coach, Dennis Allen, divulged some information about how and why Gruden made his way down to the bayou with the New Orleans Saints via Katherine Terrell of ESPN.
“Look, I mean, No. 1, we’ve had several coaches come and visit. Obviously, Jon’s a guy that has a lot of experience with Derek, and Derek has had his most success under Jon Gruden. So, we felt like bringing him in, having a chance to sit down and visit with him as an offensive staff, with the quarterbacks, and just getting some new thoughts and ideas of things we might be able to implement.”
Allen’s right Carr experienced his best seasons under Gruden; ask any Raiders fans. It’ll be interesting to see how things play out with the Saints. Allen, a defensive coach by trade and nature, has struggled in the post-Sean Payton era. A common theme with Carr’s career has been the coaching carousel; whether as a result of his play or not, numerous coaches came and went during his time with the Raiders. Would Gruden actually return to Carr’s side? At this point, anything can happen.
*Top Photo: David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images