Jon Gruden (Merged)

[CanDB]

It'll be interesting to see what his contract actually looks like. Today it was reported that the first 5 year he'll be paid $5 million per season, and the final 5 years he'll get $15 million per season. Surely the Raiders have an opt out clause? If not they're insane!

The final 5 years thing is big for two reasons: 1. If he's still with the team Nevada has no state tax. 2. If he's not with the team, and there's no opt out clause, then it'll fall under the offset rules, which means if he's coaching elsewhere the Raiders will get dollar for dollar credit on what he's owed each year, so they'll only be on the hook for the overage. But regardless he'll be making $15 million for those 5 years.

Only Shirley knows that (I couldn't resist!)

That's smart then if they do. If he can't get it done in 5 years, they only paid him $25 million and he may have a buyout of not $75 million. Mark Davis looks like Lloyd Christmas, but he's not a bad businessman.


I hope Gruden gets every penny and was worth it, but we'll see.

If it's guaranteed 10 years and $100M....it's insane! It's also desperation and irresponsible.

BUT....if it's the way Butler has described, $5M per for the first 5 years WITH an "out", then it isn't so wild after all. Gruden is worth $5M per year, if he has any of the fire and smarts left. But there is no way he is worth $15M, especially after 5 long years.

So...5 for 5 with an out is worth spending. My assumption would then be that the last 5 years are based on a year by year review. And here's the deal, if Gruden even got to year 6, that would mean some bad news potentially for all the AFC West.

If I could backtrack a bit.....it is not often that someone does well in sports, takes an extended leave from the day to day operations, and returns with the same energy, flare, strategy and work ethic. As hard as tv might be, is it nearly as hard as working almost round the clock throughout the football season? If word is correct that Gruden was one of those folks who hardly ever leave the football facility, will he have that same approach the second time around....with a SB ring, wealth and a lifestyle that was much softer than what is ahead? Maybe he can be that person. Time will always tell. And though my world is not his world, I remember taking on a full time job after retiring, and soon realized that I did not like being under the gun all the time when I did not have to. Of course the motivation was different than Jon's....but at its very core, most of us do not like having to step it up again, when we really don't have to.

[broncolee]

You need to double check your "facts".

Are you calling Stephen A. Smith a liar?

[broncolee]

Just checked Stephen A. Smith’s facts. He is right. Last six seasons with the Bucs he was 45-51 in the regular season. He was there for seven seasons.

[L.M.]

Just checked Stephen A. Smith’s facts. He is right. Last six seasons with the bucks he was 45-51 in the regular season. He was there for seven seasons.

Sorry Lee I thought you meant in each of his last six seasons --three of them were actually above .500. I posted a lot of facts about Gruden in post #24 of this thread if you missed it.

But you can't just cherry-pick only one section of his career expecting that to be an accurate assessment of his capabilities and then call him "mediocre". He didn't start coaching in 2003, he coached for 11 seasons starting in 1998 and he is 95-81 .540. with one SB win under his belt. People like to say the SB win was all because of Dungy's D but Gruden got that offense to be productive in the playoffs (even blowing out opponents), something Dungy could never do.

There are also deeper reasons behind the slide in standings after that Superbowl, like the salary cap disaster, loss of players, loss of draft picks because of the trade from Oakland, constant injuries to key players, and no stability at QB (Johnson, Griese, Simms, Garcia, etc.). Those factors aren't his fault and the owner/VP of the Bucs admitted that publically. It's also why the Bucs made overtures to get Gruden back a couple of months ago, because they haven't had a winning season with a playoff appearance since he left! And the Raiders wouldn't have hired him back making him the second-highest paid person in the NFL after Goodell if he was just average!

[broncolee]

Sorry Lee I thought you meant in each of his last six seasons --three of them were actually above .500. I posted a lot of facts about Gruden in post #24 of this thread if you missed it.

But you can't just cherry-pick only one section of his career expecting that to be an accurate assessment of his capabilities and then call him "mediocre". He didn't start coaching in 2003, he coached for 11 seasons starting in 1998 and he is 95-81 .540. with one SB win under his belt. People like to say the SB win was all because of Dungy's D but Gruden got that offense to be productive in the playoffs (even blowing out opponents), something Dungy could never do.

There are also deeper reasons behind the slide in standings after that Superbowl, like the salary cap disaster, loss of players, loss of draft picks because of the trade from Oakland, constant injuries to key players, and no stability at QB (Johnson, Griese, Simms, Garcia, etc.). Those factors aren't his fault and the owner/VP of the Bucs admitted that publically. It's also why the Bucs made overtures to get Gruden back a couple of months ago, because they haven't had a winning season with a playoff appearance since he left! And the Raiders wouldn't have hired him back making him the second-highest paid person in the NFL after Goodell if he was just average!

Fair enough, I guess.

You’re working harder to defend a Raider than I would normally be inclined to do.����

[L.M.]

Fair enough, I guess.

You’re working harder to defend a Raider than I would normally be inclined to do.����

I put the research effort in when he was still a coaching candidate and when I thought VJ might be fired after the season. I wanted all the facts about what he accomplished and to know whether he could fix our offense. Based on what he did in Oakland, I'd say yes, if we gave him a good QB. It worked when he had Gannon, and it would probably work with Cousins. He ran a West Coast Offense which I like and it will probably be an improved variant that includes a bunch of things he learned in the last nine years while studying teams.

I don't respect the Raiders franchise of course, but I acknowledge and respect Gruden's abilities and those of Derek Carr, and I see them as a threat together, not a trifle to be dismissed and underestimated -except maybe in smack! Know and study your enemies!