Where the Raiders ever really the front runners to get Ben Johnson?
Johnson’s agent, Rick Smith, spoke on the process that led his client to the Bears and said the reports of his interest in the Raiders were greatly exaggerated.
According to Smith, who appeared on the 2nd City Gridiron podcast, Vegas was never the favorite to get Johnson, and he acknowledged that he liked having the bad information in the news.
“Initial gut reaction day one on the Raiders was ‘No go. Okay?” Smith said. “Tom Brady absolutely has an extremely compelling case that gets you to listen. The whole thing ‘Ben to the Raiders… great sources’ and all the other stuff, that was never right.”
Smith then confirmed he was happy to use the Tom Brady and company as leverage against the Bears.
“Sometimes, going back to my job, things go viral that you’re like ‘I got to put a break on this’ and sometimes things go viral like ‘No, this is good. I like this’ and that viral thing [about the Raiders] was ‘I like this. Let’s just leave that out there.’”
Just a few hours later, Raiders owner Mark Davis was asked about the team’s talks with Johnson, and he didn’t give a conflicting story.
“No, we didn’t think we had Ben Johnson,” Davis told Logan Reever of Las Vegas 8 News Now following Pete Carroll’s introductory press conference. “We never made an offer to Ben Johnson. He’s a Chicago Bear.”
For what it’s worth, even if the Raiders did think they had Johnson, it’s unlikely they would admit that publicly.
There was definitely information leaving the building that Johnson was a good bed to be the next head in Vegas, and it would be interesting to know exactly how the situation played out from the team’s perspective.
Everyone involved has moved on from the events of two weeks ago, but inquiring minds would still like to know the truth.
x: @raidersbeat
Actually Mark, the GM nailing the draft is the most important thing. And yeah can’t offer a contract to someone who played you.
And the circus never leaves town! Didn’t even offer? Just unfathomable the lack of direction with Brady ( can’t say Davis anymore). He doesn’t offer Johnson a deal and then hires his old friend for GM and gives one old, past his usefulness on the sidelines a call to be rebuffed only to then call another old, past his usefulness on the sidelines the HC position. My forecast is 3 more years of toiling in 4th in the AFC West followed by an awkward conversation between the guy we can’t fire and his old friend. Spytek what was you thinking coming to an organization that’s being ran by your friend?