Former Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold made a few waves this week when he said the Raiders decision to draft Brock Bowers came down to a coin flip between himself and Bowers.
The assumption has been that the “coin flip” comment was a figure of speech and that the Raiders didn’t actually flip a coin, but Arnold’s claim did imply that the Raiders might have been split on their decision to draft the Georgia tight end with the 13th-overall pick.
As of Friday, The Raiders GM, assistant GM and head coach had all been asked about Arnold’s comments, but the most clear and concise response to the story came from former NFL player Ryan Clark, who said he had talked to Antonio Pierce about the matter away from the camera.
“No call, and no coin flip,” Pierce told Clark, who said he had not talked to Arnold and added that the pick was ready before the Raiders were even on the clock.
The other detail to the story is one that doesn’t need any confirmation by the Raiders.
It has been reported by two outlets that at least two teams were trying to move up for Bowers, and if those reports were accurate, why wouldn’t the Raiders have taken a trade for pick 13 if they were split on the decision to draft Bowers?
Every organization would like to send the message that they are “all in” on their draft picks, but in this case, it seems like the Raiders actually were.
It’s possible, and maybe even likely, that someone within the Raiders reached out to Arnold after the draft, but his or her kind message to Arnold was probably a little embellished. The team employee could have added a few flattering details to how the process played out in the draft room, or it’s possible that Arnold took that liberty himself.
x: @raidersbeat