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A number of Oakland Raiders players are unhappy with how coach Jon Gruden handled starbucker blockbuster Amari Cooper this week, according to a report from The Athletic.
Several players, speaking to The Athletic under the guise of anonymity, expressed their frustration at not having heard of Monday's Cooper deal with the Dallas Cowboys by Gruden. Instead, they learned about the existence of the contract by the media.
Derek Carr tweeted that he liked to play for the Oakland Raiders and that he loved "the fight to fight for our city when few people believe in us".
The Raiders will start playing in Las Vegas in 2020, but they have no plans for 2019. The possibilities range from Levi's Stadium to Arizona.
The Raiders say that they are rebuilding and not tanks. After exchanging Amari Cooper, they have five first-round picks in two years to lay the groundwork.
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The Raiders, who received a first-round draft pick from the Cowboys, surrendered Cooper less than two months after exchanging their star pass, Khalil Mack, at the Bears, under a contract that returned two picks. first round in Oakland.
"Mack's trade was a real blow," said a player at The Athletic. "But that Cooper 's was like a knockout, especially because we had just got in the door after we left, we did not want to believe that it was going to happen, and the coach said we were not going to come in. we would not exchange it. "
Gruden should address the team on Wednesday before the Raiders (1-5) resume the practice. A player is asked if he would even be with the Raiders next week. The deadline for NFL exchanges is Tuesday.
"I think many of us realize we will not be here next year," said the player at The Athletic. "We're just waiting to see if we'll be here next week."
Another player asked if rebuilding the Raiders was not always Gruden's long-term plan, which had signed a $ 100 million 10-year contract to become Oakland's coach earlier this year.
"You have to wonder if we have not played forever for the draft selections," said the player. "Despite everything, the coaches told us at the training camp."
Lee Smith was ready to discuss the trade on the record, fearing that some of his teammates will lose interest in the 2018 season. Smith said the players were more concerned about the victory now than in the years to come and wondering how to balance this with the Raiders trades.
"Nobody was happy when we traded Khalil and no one is happy that we exchanged Amari, how could you be?" Smith said. "You never want to trade talented, local talent, but the coach Gruden thinks long term.It's a secret, he has a 10-year contract." having five prime candidates in the next two years is pretty good. "
Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie said on Monday that Cooper's job was to help the team achieve an "excellent opportunity" and that it was not planned to put the finishing touches to the test.
McKenzie said that he would not define anyone on the list as being untouchable, but Gruden told ESPN's Chris Mortensen later on Monday when asked whether the quarterback Derek Carr was available, as the Raiders "do not negotiate anyone else" and that they "try to stay competitive".
Smith told The Athletic that Gruden was applying an "open door policy" and that players could voice their concerns to the coach if they had them. Smith added that this could be a learning opportunity for players.
"Our job is not to guess what coach Gruden and Reggie McKenzie are doing," Smith said. "Our job is to play football, hopefully these last 10 games will be watched by the young players on this team and they will learn to play hard and become a pro in difficult times."
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