The Oakland Raiders have been heavily criticized for dealing away Khalil Mack. Outside of Von Miller, Mack might be the best in the league. Apparently, the Raiders didn’t see it that way. Oakland dealt him to Chicago for a king’s ransom of draft picks including two first round picks. The hilarious part of the situation is the way gm… oh, I mean head coach Jon Gruden is talking about his team’s pass rush this season.
“It’s hard to find a great one. It’s hard to find a good one. It’s hard to find one,” Gruden said. “College football now, they’re not really dropping back to pass and throwing footballs anymore. They’re throwing laterals and they’re throwing bubble screens and they’re throwing read options. So you’ve got to train these guys. It takes a little time to learn how to rush the passer. We’ve got some guys that are in that process right now.”
What did he just say? If it’s hard to find a good pass rusher then why did you let one of the best ones in the league go? How can you not laugh at what’s going on here? He is right in a sense that they really don’t have one on the roster. Bruce Irvin is vastly overrated. Through two games the Raiders have 2 sacks on the entire season. Khalil Mack has matched that total by himself.
The sad part is for the Raiders that Derek Carr can’t possibly play better than he did in week two. The man completed 90 percent of his throws in week two! Oakland is already 0-2 and the season looks like a lost cause. Reggie McKenzie is on his way out as well so Gruden really has his handsful in trying to rebuild the Raiders. The truth of the matter is that if the Raiders don’t nail the two first round picks they received from the Bears in the deal, they will forever look foolish.
