ESPN’s Adam Schefter has been on the warpath reporting on the Raiders this week and for anyone who’s been out of the loop, here’s a brief compilation of his comments.
First, he launched a ridiculous accusation against Tom Telesco, suggesting the former GM didn’t try to trade for Jayden Daniels ahead of last year’s draft.
“The Raiders had such an interest in trying to see if they could trade for Jayden Daniels,” Schefter said on his podcast this week. “But by the way, matter of fact, they never made the call at all. They never even tried to get that trade done. A lot of speculation about it. More in the media than within the teams themselves. The Raiders never called about Jayden Daniels.”
From there, Schefter said he didn’t believe it was even possible for the Raiders to bounce back next year. That’s a reasonable take from Shannon Sharpe or Boomer Esiason, but not a top insider in the industry.
“I don’t mean to be a pessimist. I don’t believe that is possible. I just don’t believe it,” Schefter said of the Raiders chances of finding a quarterback and doing what the Commanders did this year. “Jayden Daniels is one of these generational quarterbacks. You’re not finding that guy in the draft this year and you don’t even have the draft pick to do it.”
And then there was the general organizational slander.
It’s nothing new for NFL reporters to bash the Raiders, but rarely does Schefter project while taking jabs at an organization.
Schefter talked about the “lack of stability” and “impatience” that led to the Raiders’ recent coaching turnover, and questioned why a coaching candidate of Johnson’s status would consider taking the job in Las Vegas.
Over the course of his journalistic career, Schefter has been arguably the most objective reporter covering the NFL, but the Vegas football team is clearly his weakness.
His comments this week are even more eye-opening in light of a recent statement by Raider Nation Radio host Q Myers.
“Look, I work for ESPN. I’ve had Adam Schefter on the show before. I know what Shefty’s all about. Shefty does not give opinions. He just doesn’t,” Myers said on the Locked on Raiders podcast.
“What Schefter does is deliver the news. He gives you what he knows, and that’s what he does. And even when we had him on the show, they say, ‘Hey, don’t ask him his opinion on things because he doesn’t like to do that.’ He likes to just give the facts. Just put it out there. He likes to report.”
Myers went to say what at least three insiders around the Raiders have said already. The Raiders absolutely called the Commanders about trading for the no. 2 pick and Schefter presumably knows as well as anybody the decision-makers in Washington weren’t giving up the pick.
“I know 100% for a fact, the Raiders called on Jaden. I know it from both sides,” Sports Illustrated’s Hondo Carpenter said this week on his podcast. “I talked with somebody in the Commanders last year. You may remember I told you this multiple times. You can go back and watch old podcasts from before the draft. [That person with the Commanders] told me every time Telesco and the Raiders called, the answer [was] ‘We can give you some price that you’re not going to be willing to pay. We don’t want to move.’”
It’s also worth bringing attention (again) to the fact that Schefter said the Raiders don’t have the draft position at no. 6 to get a top quarterback in this year’s draft.
Well, how exactly did he think the Raiders were supposed to get Daniels with the no. 13 pick a year ago?
Safe to say, somebody has an agenda.
x: @raidersbeat
There too many paid mouthpieces these days that spew nothing but their own excrement. And even more empty heads that believe them. And yes,I’m even talking about the CIC.
The degradation of society is in top gear.
Hey Schefter, fake news bad. Do anything else.
Yeah I lost total respect for the dude!
It’s probably not a good idea to drink on the job Shefter!
Fk Schefter. He’s trying too make news, not report it
Living in Denver I can tell you for sure that this year I noticed a difference in his reporting. He used to always avoid direct questions about the broncos and give a macro answer. This year he has become a homer to the broncos and been all in to the point of nauseam. He’s also snuggled right up to Greenberg at ESPN. He must have been offered more money to be more opinionated. Goddels NFL is money (ratings) driven, you don’t have to look any further than the chiefs/Texans game and the BS calls for Patty to make sure they stay in the hunt!
Spot on. I’ll take goodhell’s NFL chiefs love one step further. Viewership has increased 10x for EVERY chiefs game because of the Swifties. Which means advertisers pay a superbowl premium for advertising. Mo money kicking back from networks.
What? Raiders fans so sad they have to whine about the media, who btw is mostly right. This ridiculous organization deserves to be talked about and ignored in reality to their relevance. And the truth is, they have ZERO chance to be good next year. Even if they get Johnson, it will be a screw up. Telling you now he is the next Adam Gase. Stop your whinging about the media and worry about this bottom feeder of a team.
Don’t you have a tongue to swallow?