The Raiders have run into a rough patch in the first month of the season, and former Raiders’ O-lineman Marshall Newhouse has been questioning some of Pete Carroll’s tactics in recent weeks, including the way the coaching staff has been handling Jackson Powers-Johnson.
Last week, Newhouse said he feels like there must be something going on with Powers-Johnson behind the scenes, and following the release of veteran linebacker Germaine Pratt, Newhouse offered more questions.
“I understand when new regimes come in, there’s a lot of turnover because they’re trying to get their kind of guys and quote unquote, ‘[find] their kind of guys.’ Whether it [was] scheme fit or attitude or what have you, we don’t know exactly if Pratt fit either of those categories,” Newhouse said on the Just Win podcast.
“You heard murmurs about headbutting, about how they’re going about preparing and how they’re going about game day operations. He’s a veteran guy, I imagine, having been a veteran guy signing [with] teams later in my career, you’re trying to balance the experience you have, and I knew how to win. I’ve won everywhere I’ve been and then also assimilating what that looks like. So it feels like now, the Jackson Powers-Johnson deal ongoing and this, it just it feels like there’s friction between the locker room and the staff.”
There have been reports that there has been some friction in the Raiders’ locker room, but few specifics have been discussed publicly. Presumably, Pratt was involved in some of that friction and several reports have hinted that might be the case in the last two days.
On Wednesday, Raider Nation Radio host ‘JT the Brick’ said Pratt was difficult to handle and difficult to work with, adding that Carroll isn’t going to keep players around that aren’t bought in on the team.
Nevertheless, Carroll is facing a challenge with the Raiders that’s a little different than anything he dealt with in Seattle. His ability to bring the team together is going to be key in the weeks ahead.
“[The friction] might not be as widespread as it feels, but it definitely feels different, and maybe this is just going to take some time for Pete to establish the way he wants to run things,” Newhouse said with what appeared to be some reservation about how the Pratt situation played out.
“You let go of a guy who’s talented, the demand and the appeal for him [was] immediate. You start to wonder like, ‘Huh, he couldn’t have helped us. Was the reason they let him go so far gone? And if so, why is it so far gone? So a lot of questions to be asked. These are the kind of questions that stack up when you’re not winning. I’ve seen the craziest personnel decisions of guys squabbling behind the scenes, but when you’re beating teams… it doesn’t matter because we’re just winning and we’re going. That covers up a lot of sins, but when you’re 1-4, you’re looking for some kind of light, some kind of thing to get you going.”
x: @raidersbeat
Pretty obvious that it wasn’t a scheme fit issue otherwise, why did they sign him to begin with?! Pete has got himself a locker room issue, apparently. Pete mouthing off about “winning now” didn’t help any.
You’re right about both subjects and I’ll go a step further saying Pete Carroll wasn’t a team fit. They had the 6th overall pick fr a reason. It wasn’t because all the talented players got hurt last year like Balt this year it was because there aren’t many talented players to begin with. This should’ve been looked at as a rebuild. A rebuild that shouldn’t involve a mid 70s coach , a mid 30s mediocre QB that costs a 3rd rd pick, a 6 million OC nor a JAG DC and ST coach. I’d say that bringing in Tom’s buddy as GM, no matter if he’s any good or not was also the wrong move. Allowing Brady to have any say on which players to bring in or draft is another terrible choice. Every off-season move has been a disaster.
Seems to be the case, unfortunately. The team seams cursed and it just gets worse every year.
This tells me there is a problem with the leadership or lack of, coming from the starting QB. The QB is the liaison between the coach and the team. If there are locker room issues, it says the QB isn’t much of a leader.
The problem may be that players, like Pratt, and JPJ are being singled out by the staff while Pete’s guy Smith gets a pass after screwing up game after game. Players take notice and that leads to a disgruntled locker room . What’s Pete going to do, get rid of all the players that were here prior to the new regime? Of course not, he’s got to be professional and treat guys fairly.
Pete is in deep water(way over his head)!He got old in Seattle,(hence why he retired,some guys can return but Pete is far past his glory days!All of that wrestling with players doesn’t make him a good h/c….