Witten: Five observations about his new team
The Raiders won’t know for another month or two how much of an impact Hall of Fame-bound tight end Jason Witten will have at age 38.
But given that the former Dallas Cowboys star already worked as Jon Gruden’s 2018 replacement for “Monday Night Football” as an ESPN analyst before coming back to the NFL last season, the Raiders knew he could talk a good game.
Witten did that with reporters during a Zoom conference call Monday, but even more important to Gruden and GM Mike Mayock, he was given the floor to address the entire roster following a recent walk-through.
His message?
“It’s a hard league, a hard game. We all play with talented teams that could probably have success, but you’ve got to be on the screws every day,” Witten said. “It’s a young team, it’s talented … are they trying to improve? Do they have the self-confidence to be critical of themselves?
Do they want to be coached? The margin for error is so small, that’s how you have to approach it.
“I’m blown away by their skill set … I’m seeing guys that love football, work hard, are accountable. We’re off to a good start as we transition in to pads.”
Whether the Witten who ranks second all-time among tight ends behind Tony Gonzalez with 1,215 receptions and 12,997 yards will resurface is an open question. But it’s clear they welcome a voice of experience to a young roster.
Four more observations from Witten in his first interaction with the media since signing with the Raiders on March 25:
ON LEAVING DALLAS AFTER 16 SEASONS >> “Any time you have coaching changes and a new program, that’s part of the business. I have a great relationship with the Jones family, very honest and up front, and with (coach) Mike (McCarthy). That’s a talented team, but this was a unique opportunity. I’m invigorated by this and where I’m at in my career. It made a lot of sense from the fit and role and presence I would have. I really didn’t overthink it.”
MASTERING THE GRUDEN OFFENSE >> “You play 16 years you think you’ve seen it all and then 2020 happens, and here we are. I think there’s a lot of changes, a lot of challenges. You try to roll with the punches. It was different starting with a new system. Coach Gruden has the new-aged condensed playbook, so I’ve mastered the first thousand pages. I’ve only got about 9,000 more to go.”
IMPRESSIONS OF QUARTERBACK DEREK CARR >> “With the Zoom meetings, it’s a rigorous process coach Gruden puts them through. His recall, his ability to get to certain plays, (Derek) has great command of the system. You can feel a chip on his shoulder. He’s got a lot to prove … I know from myself and Nelson Agholor and some of the other guys, he’s constantly giving you information how they want it. It’s a group effort as in, ‘Hey, this is what we’re thinking.’ I’m impressed by his ablility to throw it accurately and lead. I’m impressed with his ability to get outside the pocket and create with his feet.”
THE TALENT OF DARREN WALLER>> “There is no limit on what he can accomplish in this league. I’ve watched a lot of his tapes from a year ago. He’s big, he’s long, he’s athletic, he’s extremely fast, but he’s just got great feel and understanding. A lot about playing the tight end position, you want size, you want speed, you want all those things, but how do you get open when maybe the coverage doesn’t say you should get open? That’s where the tricks are you have to master. You see the way he studies it, what he wants out of it this year and his career. I think he’s going to be a star. I think he already is a star, but I don’t think there’s a limit to what he can achieve in this league.”
FAMILAR FACES FROM COWBOYS: RICH BISACCIA, ROD MARINELLI, MALIEK COLLINS, JEFF HEATH, DANIEL ROSS >> ”You come over and there’s Rich Bisaccia, who was with us in Dallas, and coach (Rod) Marinelli, who worked with coach Gruden in Tampa. You know those guys and what they’re about. When you’re going through the transition you can call on them. It’s been neat to experience it with some of the other guys. You have experiences with them, you can draw on them as you enter each other and lean on each other to make the transition.”