[ad_1]
The Oakland Raiders have reason to be optimistic about their first-round pick, Kolton Miller. The offensive tackle has not failed to stop it until now in 2018, and although he is not a full-fledged tackle, he showed the potential and potential that made him the first choice of the fifteenth place overall. .
But according to Raiders coach Jon Gruden, Miller would not have been chosen by the Raiders if their depth chart was a bit different in April.
Gruden said in the fifth week against the Los Angeles Chargers that the Raiders were on time for safety, the rookie safety of their opponent, Derwin James, was instead Oakland's choice:
Jon Gruden said that he wanted to take Derwin James in the first round, but unfortunately they took security measures in the first round in 2016 (Karl Joseph) and a second round (Obi Melifonwu) in 2017. The Raiders chose the Kolton Miller LT for two singles before James in this year's project.
– Eric Williams (@eric_d_williams) October 3, 2018
Hold on … what? Let's decompose this:
1. It is not uncommon for coaches to compliment opposing players. Journalists are asking questions about them and, rather than creating dramatic scenes, the coach usually says that the player is a talented playmaker to whom they will have to pay attention. You know the chorus.
What East It is rare for a coach to say that he would have preferred to take on the chosen player. Is there another way to interpret this quote? Gruden wanted James, but for Raider reasons, they chose to take Miller. What a resounding endorsement for your first-round pick.
2. Did not you choose James because of these guys? Choosing a security in the first two rounds three years in a row is not smart, but you know what's worse? Picking wrong security in the first two rounds two consecutive years.
Karl Joseph is now in his third NFL season and is not part of the Raiders' starter squad. He saw 11 shots in total with Reggie Nelson and Marcus Gilchrist in front of him on the depth chart, though neither Nelson nor Gilchrist played as well.
Obi Melifonwu is an even less inspiring choice who has played five games as a rookie. Hip injured in August, he was abandoned by the Raiders just 16 months after his victory at 56th. No team has claimed Melifonwu, he returned to the reserve Raiders, where he will sit for the rest of 2018.
These are the two choices that have apparently deterred Gruden and the Raiders from choosing a player. Self-screening and understanding of sunk costs are important skills for an NFL team, and it seems the Raiders are missing.
3. The Raiders could really use a Derwin James. Four weeks into the season, the Raiders have allocated the second highest number of points in the NFL. They have a lot more problems than the security position – especially the fact that Oakland is tied for the last time with five sacks, largely because they exchanged Khalil Mack before the start of the season.
James could have helped with that. Barely a month after his career, the Chargers may already have the best security in the NFL blitz in James.
No security in the NFL has finished with more than five sacks in a year since Roman Harper won 7.5 in the 2011 season. James already has three games out of four, not to mention the move that forced an interception which was decisive during the 4th week:
In addition to his passing skills, James has one interception and six defended passes – just one behind the Raiders, Rashaan Melvin, who leads the league with seven.
With James, the Chargers have the first favorite for the defensive rookie of the year. As long as Miller continues to play well, the Raiders can be happy with the first round of the NFL 2018 draft. But Gruden – who has a propensity for laughable quotes – has given a flimsy logic to pass on James.
[ad_2]
Source link