Raiders trading for Antonio Brown would be the most Jon Gruden move ever

The Oakland Raiders want to trade for Antonio Brown. What a classic Jon Gruden move.

Never change, Jon Gruden. Seriously, never change. I remember discussing the Philadelphia Eagles with somebody back in the time when they made the “genius” hire of Chip Kelly. I’m not talking about the coach, Chip Kelly. I am talking about the General Manager, Chip Kelly.

Once the Eagles gave Chip the keys to the kingdom, and he was in charge of all personnel moves and had final say, I made this simple statement: “This is either going to be the greatest decision ever made, or the worst decision ever made. There’s seriously no in-between at this point.”

What do you know? The Eagles fired Chip Kelly after a rather short, three-year stint with the team. Now, I am going to say that the same rules apply to the Raiders and Jon Gruden, who has final say on all decisions regarding drafting, trading, re-signing, and releasing. He’s either going to come out looking like an absolute genius. Or a total moron.

So far, the public consensus would say that Jon Gruden is a moron. He traded away Kahlil Mack, his best defensive player. Following that trade, Gruden complained that the Raiders weren’t getting enough pressure on opposing quarterbacks, go figure.

Then, Gruden decided that he wanted to cut the cord on the Amari Cooper experiment, and traded him away to the Dallas Cowboys where he single-handily picked up their offense and thrived in such a simple system. Now, to no surprise, Gruden feels like the Raiders do not have enough weapons in the passing game and have been in on the Antonio Brown action ever since he’s been announced to be on the trade block. How very Jon Gruden of him.

What makes it so funny?

You may be thinking; what makes Jon Gruden having interest in one of the best wideouts in the league so funny? It’s a logical move to find out the price for Brown. While it is, the irony of the situation is what makes it hilarious. Amari Cooper is a 24-year-old wideout with tons of upside. When used correctly, Cooper has proven to be one of the more dangerous wideouts in the game, hence why he demanded a first-round pick trade value.

Brown, on the other hand, is very good. But he isn’t getting any younger. The nine-year veteran will turn 31-years-old in July. He will cost over $12 million, with a cap hit of $22 million for 2019. Could he restructure? Sure, but good luck with that conversation. Mr. Big Chest made it very clear that he doesn’t need football and the paychecks. He will walk away from the game if he feels slighted. And more often than not, players will not restructure with any pay cuts because they feel slighted.

If Gruden gives up on a 24-year-old wide receiver, then tries to spend a significant amount in an attempt to acquire a 31-year-old receiver because they need a threat in the passing game, that would be the most Jon Gruden move ever. Not to mention, the Raiders could potentially keep Derek Carr as their quarterback, along with bringing back a soon-to-be 33-year-old running back in Marshawn Lynch to headline the backfield. The jokes just write themselves here.