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Things went bad for Jon Gruden when he returned to the Oakland Raiders after spending the previous nine seasons on ESPN's Monday Night Football stand.
Gruden tackled many topics during his weekly press conference Tuesday at the team's headquarters, a day after his team returned from a 27-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in London, falling to 1-5 of the season.
Gruden announced that Oakland had released linebacker Derrick Johnson and promoted linebacker Jason Cabinda within the coaching team. The coach said the Marshawn Lynch running back had been injured in the groin at Wembley Stadium and had worried Gruden, while acknowledging that receivers Amari Cooper and Seth Roberts were still under concussion protocol . He noted that quarterback Derek Carr was still sore after having the left (un-thrown) shoulder hit the ground during his sixth and final sunday Sunday, but Gruden said, "We think that's a good thing. he'll be fine. "
And as the team started their week of waiting, Gruden was already talking about the departure of the Raiders.
"I'll say this: we're not doing anything tanks," said Gruden. "I hear hate there, some rumors that we reserve it for a first round pick or a higher choice.We do not get up at 4 in the morning to do it."
"I do not know who wrote that or who said that or who thinks about it, but it's not the case here, we will continue to work hard, continue to build our team, and that was part of the message. . "
On September 1st, Khalil Mack, the Raiders' striker, who had been holding on since the start of last season, announced that the draft pick against the Chicago Bears was seen as a sign that Oakland is in the offing. interested less in the present than in the future. And this has led to speculation that Cooper and security chief Karl Joseph are on the market, although Gruden has denied Cooper's report as a bait for trade in London. (It should be noted that Mack, Cooper and Joseph, as well as defensive wing Bruce Irvin, all have the same agent in Joel Segal.)
The return was frustrating for Gruden and the Raiders after losing their lead in the first half in their first three games against the Los Angeles Rams, Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins before returning to beat the Cleveland Browns 45 -42. in overtime.
However, over the past two weeks, Oakland has been drilled by a 53-13 combination by the Los Angeles Chargers and Seahawks.
After the start, three of the next four Raiders opponents also have records of 1-5 in the Colts of Indianapolis, the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals.
But first, the Raiders must form a healthy and competitive team, and this is the goal of the break week.
Left guard Pro Bowl Kelechi Osemele missed the last two games due to a knee injury, while left tackle rookie Kolton Miller also suffered a sprained knee and tuned six sacks in the last two weeks, according to Pro Football Focus. Left-back goalkeeper Jon Feliciano left the Seahawks game with a rib injury and right tackle Donald Penn was on the reserve list of injured with a groin injury.
No wonder Carr was so beaten after Sunday's game, in which he was hit 10 times and sacked six times. In fact, he has already been sacked 17 times this season. (He took 16 sacks of the 2016 season.) Only one of Carr's passes against Seattle has passed more than 10 rushing yards, and 140 of his 142 passing yards have been lost.
"It was obvious that it affected the ability to retreat, look around and throw the ball," Gruden said of Carr's lack of time in his pocket. "We were able to block better than that, we were able to play better than that, and that certainly had an impact, no doubt."
Of the 50 players retained by General Manager Reggie McKenzie from 2012 to 2017, only seven are part of the team's workforce of 53 people. The first player of 2017, Gareon Conley, lost his first match last weekend. Yes, Gruden is in rebuild mode.
"We diagnose everything," says Gruden. "Not only the games we've called, the players we've used, the situations we've been in. We're still looking at the players list, and we're looking around the league for ways to improve." Reggie and I I had a long meeting yesterday, I know some people are shocked: they do not think we have meeting.
"I tell you, we are working hard to strengthen this list every day and to improve and get the right people on the ground, these are the decisions we are looking at, we will continue to try to develop our young people. players.We will stay on the gas pedal and go as hard as possible. "
Which includes having a conversation with the corner half Rashaan Melvin, who tried to return to his old playing technique instead of adapting to the style of the new defense coordinator, Paul Guenther, after being removed from office in London.
"I have not spoken to him yet, no," Gruden said of Melvin. "I'm sure I'll do it.I know Paul Guenther did it.I heard that there was a Twitter account.Melvin is part of his seventh team, I think He had different techniques, maybe he's confused, I do not know, I'm going to talk to him, but he has to play better, he's in a competitive situation, maybe he's frustrated, and I'm can not blame him. "
The information provided by the Associated Press has been used in this report.
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