After Sunday, Raiders Need Jon Gruden, Tom Cable, And Kolton Miller To Figure A Few Things Out

   October 18, 2018

Jon Gruden has a vision for the Raiders and contrary to semi-popular belief, it isn’t to destroy the organization from within because they traded him to the Buccaneers 15 years ago.

After the Khalil Mack trade, the short-term goals may have been pushed back a little, but Gruden’s personnel focus since joining the Raiders has been to build the offensive line and re-establish the offensive juggernaut he left in 2003. Gruden was enthusiastic about adding offensive line coach Tom Cable to his staff and clearly prioritized offensive linemen in his first draft – so much that he was willing to pass on a better prospect (Derwin James) to draft Kolton Miller.

Miller was off to a solid start at left tackle, but since suffering a knee injury, he’s been barely a bump in the road for pass rushers in search of Derek Carr. Some of Miller’s struggles might be associated with his knee, but the rookie is also reverting back to some of the bad habits he developed in college.

It was Miller’s “false step” that caused him problems at UCLA and while it looked like he had been improving under Cable, the short wasted step in pass protection reared its ugly head again on Sunday. NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger broke down one of Miller’s wasted steps against the Seahawks and it has obviously become a problem that Miller and Cable need to correct quickly.

It’s not unreasonable for a rookie offensive tackle to have bad days, but if Miller’s knee is an issue, it needs to be given the opportunity to heal (it can’t linger into next year). If the knee is OK and Miller simply isn’t adjusting, then why is Gruden leaving him on an island against the league’s best pass rushers?

Even when Donald Penn was at his best, former Raiders OC Bill Musgrave liked to leave extra bodies in for protection. What’s so complicated about doing this for a pair of rookie offensive tackles now?

I mean, after Sunday, it feels a little like Carr’s life is depending on it. Furthermore, how is Gruden going to get two top picks for his quarterback if his arm falls off?

twitter: @raidersbeat

Share:

25 thoughts on “After Sunday, Raiders Need Jon Gruden, Tom Cable, And Kolton Miller To Figure A Few Things Out”

  1. Hey, all you Raidah fans – the few still around – I challenge you to give me an example where a coach and organization let their best player, a generational talent in his prime, just walk but still was able build a championship level team.

    I’m waiting—–

    2. Cowboys trading Herschel Walker and using those draft picks obtained in the trade to pick up the key pieces for their SB wins.

      1. Please see my comments regarding Herschel in response to another gentleman. I don’t think Herschel was in the same league, talent-wise, as Mack. Besides, Mack has made such a difference in Chicago that those future picks the Raiders got are looking less and less valuable already.

    3. Hershel Walker. Coming off a 1500 yard season from Dallas to Minnesota.

      That being said I’m not sure if I liked the Mack trade, but you asked for an example and one was given

    4. There are a lot of clubs throughout sports that have done it. If one player wants a big contract to play one position. Then you let them walk. You see that’s what Detroit did to Suh, and so did Miami. But to answer your question. Reggie White, Julius Peppers,Charles Haley,Kevin Greene,Deion Sanders,Junior Seau and there are others I am sure. I agree with letting him go instead of paying him all that money for one player. I take first round picks and save $141 over 6 years to build our team over just one player.

      1. Thanks for your response. All good points. But I respectfully disagree. This looks too much like the time Don Nelson got rid of Chris Webber in 1993, thereby dooming the team to 13 terrible years while Webber went on to, arguably, a hall of fame career career.

      1. I’m not a crybaby, I’m a realist. I loved the Raidahs, had a PSL for 12 years even when I couldn’t afford it anymore. But Mark Davis and Jon Gruden have destroyed this organization and givem the middle finger to my city, first by taking it to Vegas and then by destroying the team. Right now, it’s not only the worst team in the NFL, it may be as bad as the Browns winless team of a year ago. Nice going, Chuckie!!

        Davis and company betrayed me and my city, so I’m very angry, as all self-respecting Raidah fans should be. Those of you who want to continue to believe in this hot liquid mess, go right ahead. I think you’re in for years of frustration and bitter disappointment. Call me a false fan, even a ‘crybaby’, if you want, but I’m moving on. Sports are an entertaining diversion for me, not an obsession.

  2. Cowboys trading Herschel Walker and using those draft picks obtained in the trade to pick up the key pieces for their SB wins.

  4. Hey Gene St Onge…..did that answer your question! JACKASS!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂😂

      1. You are the Pathetic one! Dude I have been a Raider fan for 42 years and I hated the trade. I also hated the pick of Miller. That’s until I took a step back and really looked at this roster. We are a bad team. And that’s with Mack. Gruden looked at this roster and saw 6 to 7 guys that could honestly go play for another team. No depth or quality Football players because of bad drafts by Reggie and others. So he said, my 27 yr old all world guy will have to have a huge contract and will be 29 to 30 years old around the time I turn this roster over. So he pulled the plug to make sure we had talent when we opened our new stadium in Vegas in 2020. If you don’t get this, so be it. You are not a fan anyway. So **** Off Prick!

        1. I’m not getting into personal attacks with you. We’ll just have to see how this all plays out. If, over the next several years, Gruden can build a Super Bowl contending team from draft picks [something he hasn’t done in the past] and Mack turns out to be a flash in the pan player, I’m willing to admit you were right and I was wrong. On the other hand, if the team doesn’t live up to the Gruden hype, while Mack fors on to have Hall of Fame career, I hope you are man enough to do the same.

  6. First
    He was under contract and held out abd did not show

    Le’Veon Bell is a good example as he is still holding out while being replaced with a rookie and when traded im sure the Steelers will not get 2x 1st rounders plus for him

    Hate it happened but his agent had him sell out his team of brothers for an extra 3 mil a year he probably would of gotten if he would of shown up and played our his signed contract

    1. Maybe Gruden had already poisoned the waters, saying the defense wasn’t much good last year even with Mack. Mack did say he wanted to be a Raider for life – before Gruden showed up.

  8. Generational player???? Lol. So Mack is LT now? Lol. Ooooook. Against a below average offense last week in Miami, Mack didn’t show up. No sacks, no tackles for loss. Got beat. Mack is a good player that at times plays great. Generational???? Please. And in no **** way would I give him elite QB money. Never. Mack is that great? I think every year in Oakland the D was always near the bottom of all D stats. Generational???? Lol.

    1. Only player to win DPOY at two positions, it was Mack that allowed the Raidahs to go 12-4 (probably 13-3 if Carr hadn’t broken his leg) two years ago, when he would make key defensive plays in the fourth quarter while Carr led comebacks offensively. Sure, you can cherry pick a game or two when Mack isn’t his best. LT had his off days too. But Mack is the real deal.

  9. Have you seen how depleted the O-line is???? To put this on Miller is unreal lol yes the raiders may be brutal but this artical just proves any dip **** can have an opinion

    1. You know, the attacks on me are getting as bad as the attacks I have to endure by rabid Zionists on other sites – and this is just sports!! It just goes to show how some people take sports much too seriously.

      Chill, bros! It’s just a **** game. No need for ad hominem attacks, like calling me a dip **** or crybaby or jackass. Some of you have strongly disagreed with me, but done so in a respectful manner. That’s fine. Why can’t the rest of you do the same? Maybe y’all ought to take a step back and see if, just maybe, you are taking this Raidah fan stuff waaay too seriously.

      I’m just saying—–!

Comments are closed.