Raiders general manager Mike Mayock commented to team beat writers for the first time since cutting former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown, and he took ownership of the disastrous situation.
Absent any comment from the GM, rumors of discontent between Mayock and coach Jon Gruden festered. They centered around the Brown fiasco, especially with the reportedly heated confrontation between Mayock and Brown as Brown’s time with the Raiders circled the drain.
It was assumed that acquiring Brown was mostly Gruden’s idea, but according to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, Mayock stated that he wanted to take the chance on Brown as well.
“I put that on me. My anticipation was that he was coming off a situation in Pittsburgh where he wants to prove everybody wrong and he wants to ride into the Hall of Fame. That he was going to come in with Jon Gruden and Derek Carr and our offense and lead the way. … I really thought we were going to get the best out of Antonio Brown and we didn’t.
“We weren’t able to get anything out of him. So, at the end of the day, in hindsight, we lost a third-round pick and a fifth-round pick, and I can’t tell you how much pain that causes me.”
For added assurance, Mayock said, “Jon and I are good. Jon and I talk everything through,” when asked if he and the coach agreed on every step taken in attempting to get Brown to play ball with the Raiders.
That Gruden and Mayock are on the same page is great news for the Raiders organization. Gruden and Maycock appear to be a dynamic duo when it comes to acquiring talent through the draft. The Raiders’ draft class, led by running back Josh Jacobs, was superb in 2019.
There are several more holes on the roster to fill before the Raiders are contenders for the first time since 2016. With a move to Las Vegas on the horizon, complete with the pressure to win with a new stadium partially funded by local tax revenues, Gruden and Mayock must keep building through the draft. Avoiding catastrophic mistakes such as the Brown trade is clearly a priority as well.
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