Jared Cook and Rodney Hudson were about the only Pro Bowl worthy players on the Raiders roster this year (neither made it) and conventional wisdom would say both should be back next year. Hudson is still under contract in 2019, but Cook will be a free agent.
“He clearly is our MVP. In my opinion, he is phenomenal,” Jon Gruden said of Cook earlier in December. “Whoever the general manager is, we’ll show him some tape of Jared Cook. This guy has been dazzling as a receiver. We’ve been able to put him in so many different positions – in the slot, at wide receiver. His conditioning, his stamina, his competitiveness, his running after the catch. I’m really excited about the season he’s had. Hopefully we get him back.”
If you believe Gruden’s words and understand that Gruden will have decision-making authority over any general manager that is hired, it sounds like Cook should be a lock to be re-signed, right?
Well, not so fast maybe.
According to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, Cook’s agent has yet to hear from the Raiders about re-signing Cook – which would presumably have happened if the Raiders were set on bringing him back. Then again, maybe the team is planning to go with the approach they did with Khalil Mack and not speak about a deal and hope it comes together in the final hour when everyone has already had their feelings hurt.
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