Gruden will spend offseason fixing what went wrong
The Raiders began the process Monday of identifying what it will take to squeeze a few more wins out of a roster which will return a nucleus of players, plus whatever else they can add through the draft and free agency.
The plan doesn’t include finding a sunny spot in a warmer locale for some rest and relaxation.
“Our goal is not 8- 8,” Raiders coach Jon Gruden said in his season- ending video conference. “You shouldn’t go on a cruise or on a vacation if you’re 8-8. We’ve got to take a good look at how we can close the gap.”
The first order of business will be hiring a coordinator to repair one of the most flawed defenses in franchise history, with some names familiar to Gruden emerging as candidates. Reports indicate the Raiders are interested in Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. He and Gruden have worked together in the past.
Gruden said the personnel staff will be gathering information on draft- eligible players and sorting through whether there will be any all-star games or an NFL scouting combine with the coronavirus pandemic still an issue.
Some other issues related to 2020 and how they relate to 2021 and observations from Gruden and selected players who were made available by conference call: INCREASING AVAILABILITY >> Sometimes it’s just bad luck. Other times young players such as safety Johnathan Abram, cornerback Damon Arnette and others need to make their own luck. Whatever the problem, the Raiders were hurt badly by missed practice time and game time.
“We need time on task. We need Abram on the field Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. We need him on the field Sunday all the time with Arnette, (Lamarcus) Joyner and (Trayvon) Mullen. And we need to get these guys out there day after day after day.”
Gruden noted the loss of wide receiver Tyrell Williams before the season even started, the five games started by right tackle Trent Brown and the injuries to backup quarterback Marcus Mariota.
Quarterback Derek Carr said Sunday night some things can’t be controlled, but with the right precautions players can decrease the likelihood of being hurt.
“Things happen, but there are some things that you can prevent,” Carr said. “We always talk about in the NFL taking care of your body. There are some injuries you can prevent by taking care of your body. You have to sacrifice going out and you have to sacrifice (by) going to bed early. You have to sacrifice some things to make sure you’re available all the time.”
The message to players who aren’t having any luck?
Get some.
FREE AGENCY WHIFFS IN 2020 >> Brown and Williams fall into the issue of availability. Joyner has had his health issues, while linebackers Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski had bouts with COVID-19. Kwiatkoski missed time with a groin injury. Gruden was careful to point to the health issues rather than call out players for poor performance, which was the case with Littleton as well as Maliek Collins for much of the season.
Gruden did, however, say “the greatness in Littleton has yet to be seen as a Raider. I think he can be a centerpiece here.”
FREE AGENCY IN 2021 … DO RAIDERS HAVE CASH TO COMPETE? >> The Raiders’ lengthy list of 21 unrestricted free agents includes linebacker Nicholas Morrow, a four-year veteran who had his best season and at times was the best player on a poor defense. Morrow was tendered at more than $3.2 million last season as a restricted free agent but this season would be available to the highest bidder.
“I’d love to be a Raider. This is all I know. I’ve been here four years,” Morrow said. “This is basically where I grew up as far as football goes.”
How things go with wide receiver Nelson Agholor will give an indication of how the Raiders will proceed in free agency. With no revenue from paying fans, it remains to be seen how much owner Mark Davis has to spend. Did Agholor, who caught 48 passes for 896 yards and eight touchdowns, price himself out of the Raiders’ market?
Agholor played for slightly more than the league minimum in 2020 and was a leader among the young receivers. Gruden told TV production crews before broadcasts how much he wants Agholor back. Carr said “pay the man” in his postgame interview Sunday night.
Other unrestricted free agents include Collins, Johnathan Hankins, Devontae Booker, tight end Jason Witten, guard Denzelle Good, defensive end Takk McKinley, safety Erik Harris, corner Nevin Lawson, wide receiver Zay Jones and linebacker Raekwon McMillan.
GETTING RUGGS AND EDWARDS ON TRACK >> Henry Ruggs III, the No. 12 overall pick in the draft, ended the season with a concussion. Bryan Edwards caught two passes for 51 yards, including a 26-yard touchdown — his first major contribution as a third-round pick. Both struggled not only with injuries, but working to grasp a Gruden offense that is nothing like they had in college. And they had no offseason program or preseason.
“It’s impressive with what they were able to do with not having an offseason and also being in coach Gruden’s offense and the volume we have week to week,” slot receiver Hunter Renfrow said. “I think they kind of got put through the ringer.”
RED ZONE ISSUES BOOST CARLSON >> The Raiders ranked No. 23 scoring touchdowns in the red zone at 54.24%. They were 22nd a year ago at 52.83%. The result? Kicker Daniel Carlson set a franchise scoring record with 144 points, tying Atlanta’s Younghoe Koo and Miami’s Jason Sanders for the NFL lead and breaking the franchise record of 142 points by Sebastian Janikowski in 2010.
The record was built in part by Carlson going 18 for 18 on field goal attempts of 20 to 29 yards.
“I was making a joke with Daniel Carlson. I was saying congratulations on the points record but hopefully you set the extra-point record next year and not field goals and total points,” Renfrow said. “We’ve got to score touchdowns in the red zone. If we can do that, there’s no limit to this offense.”
Gruden said he was still trying to figure out how the Raiders were “No. 1 in the league on third-and-10, and I think we were No. 32 on third-and-1. Unbelievable.”
ACCOUNTABILITY ISSUES >> There was no finger-pointing at specific teammates or at departed defensive coordinator Paul Guenther, but Crosby, Morrow and cornerback Trayvon Mullen all stressed accountability when discussing the Raiders’ defensive woes.
“At a point, you’ve just got to have a mindset,” Mullen said. “It comes down to your mindset. Your goals. What do you want? A lot of things can happen, a lot of things come up. We can have many excuses. It gets to a point of what are you going to do about it?”
Crosby cited the challenge of playing with an edge in empty or near-empty stadiums due to the pandemic.
“I feel like as a defense as a whole we need to be locked in from start to finish. I feel like we had some good moments, then there’s lack of focus, lack of detail, lack of intensity at times,” Crosby said.
Said Morrow: “We have to hold ourselves to a standard that’s acceptable for a professional football player and I think in some cases, to be honest, we lacked the accountability. The players, coaches, we all have to be more accountable to our jobs because we’re all connected together.”
CONDOLENCES TO MIKE MAYOCK >> The father of Raiders general manager Mike Mayock passed away at 87 last weekend in Lexington, Va.
Mike Mayock Sr. was a high school football coach, with Mike Jr., the oldest of seven children, playing for his father in Pennsylvania.
“He was the best man I ever met,” Mayock said in a text message. “Very fortunate to have six siblings that feel the same way.”