When the Las Vegas Raiders abruptly traded their third-round draft pick in 2020, the dynamic former Kentucky star, Lynn Bowden Jr., general manager Mike Mayock said it was a football decision only, having nothing to do with a raid at Bowden’s family home — which occurred with Bowden at the residence.
And that might be true. If it is, it’s likely because coach Jon Gruden asked Bowden, a successful wide receiver and quarterback in college, to play running back.
But trading a dynamic player like Bowden so soon raises eyebrows, regardless of the reason. And it’s definitely given Bowden, now a promising WR for the Dolphins, plenty of motivation.
Bowden said that — and plenty more — in an expansive article by Tyler Dunne of Go Long. One of the many interesting insights from the piece is a story from Bowden about hearing a conversation about him amongst Raiders coaches — one he wasn’t supposed to hear.
Bowden says that after the raid was complete (Bowden was handcuffed but the authorities found nothing illegal and Bowden wasn’t arrested nor charged with a crime), he opted to video chat with Raiders special teams coach Rich Bisaccia, who was in the midst of a coaches’ meeting.
But Bowden says the coaches were somehow unaware that Bowden could hear what they were saying about the raid and their young draft pick.
“Nobody was sticking up for me,” Bowden says. “It was, ‘Well, you know it is a drug house, it’s a gang-related house. So, he could’ve been in it.’ I’m hearing it! This is my first time even telling anybody this [stuff]. I’m hearing ‘em! So I’m already knowing what their mindset is.”
That certainly puts the Raiders “football only” claim into question. Though ultimately, that claim is possibly true. After Bowden was traded to Miami, however, unconfirmed reports suggested the Raiders considered Bowden to be an off-field issue.
Bowden also contends that while the coaches had much to say on a hot mic, the team’s two top dogs, Gruden and Mayock, never approached him about the infamous raid.
The Bowden trade makes the Raiders front office look out of touch with today’s NFL, regardless of their exact reason for trading such a talented player so soon. That the coaches didn’t know how to operate a video chat app only adds comedic fuel to that fire.
Dunne says he reached out to Mayock for comment regarding his article but received no reply. That’s unsurprising. The Raiders probably want this story to go away, and logistically, avoiding comment is the right move. Bowden is no longer a Raider, so he’s no longer their concern.
But realistically, the story of Bowden’s career false-start in Las Vegas won’t dissipate anytime soon. Especially with the talent that he flashed during his rookie campaign in Miami. Perhaps, if we’re lucky, the Raiders coaching staff will mistakingly reveal how they feel about the situation again in the years to come.