What does Jon Gruden really think of Khalil Mack?

When Jon Gruden was an analyst for ESPN, we took most of his hyperbolic analyzes with a grain of salt. He loved something about everyone in the NFL, and he was rarely critical of players or coaches. But now he's the head coach again, responsible for the Oakland Raiders, and every move he makes can be scrutinized through the lens of his ESPN standings.

<p class = "canvas-atom-canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "This is a particularly relevant example." 2014: "It reminds me Sio Moore, "said Gruden of Khalil Mack, who was selected by the Raiders with the fifth overall pick, and Moore was a promising third-round Raiders rookie who was successful in 2013 as a rookie, but Gruden He added that he thought the Raiders should have called on Johnny Manziel. he said. "data-reactid =" 23 "> Here's a particularly relevant example: Starting from the 2014 preparation day:" It reminds me of Sio Moore, "said Gruden about Khalil Mack, whom the Raiders picked with the fifth A promising third-round pick for the Raiders, who were successful in 2013 as a rookie, but he was not the type of player that is generally compared to a top-notch choice, writes Johnny Manziel. "Everyone must know something that I do not know," he said.

<p class = "canvas-atom-canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "We learned later, entreated the Raiders must take Manziel at a time when he publicly acknowledged that he was returning to the NFL, he would prefer to train the Raiders. "data-reactid =" 24 "> Gruden, we learned later, entreated The Raiders took Manziel at a time when he had publicly acknowledged that he was returning to the NFL, his preference would be to coach the Raiders.

<p class = "canvas-atom-canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "What followed in the next four years was a chain of analysis Gruden hot and cold on Mack.Gruden and ESPN Monday night football Broadcast partner Sean McDonough called two Raider games – one in 2016 against the Texans in Mexico City and another in Week 16 of the 2017 season against the Eagles in Philadelphia, a week before Gruden announced his return to the NFL. At the last Gruden show for ESPN, there was an observation that may have heralded what was coming. (In case you did not hear about it, the Raiders made the biggest trade of the year by sending Mack, the All Pro double player and defensive player of the year 2016, who had missed all Oakland season, first two round picks.) "data-reactid =" 26 "> What followed over the next four years was a series of Gruden analyzes on Mack, Gruden and ESPN. Monday night football Broadcast partner Sean McDonough called two Raider games – one in 2016 against the Texans in Mexico City and another in Week 16 of the 2017 season against the Eagles in Philadelphia, a week before Gruden announced his return to the NFL. At the last Gruden show for ESPN, there was an observation that may have heralded what was coming. (In case you did not hear about it, the Raiders made the biggest trade of the year by sending Mack, the All Pro double player and defensive player of the year 2016, who had missed all Oakland season, first two round pics.)

<p class = "canvas-atom-text-canvas Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Gruden spent time with Mack in practice the previous week the 2016 match in Mexico City and the two spoke of the last time Mack faced quarterback Brock Osweiler – Mack fired Osweiler five times (Mack was incredulous that Denver blocked him most of the time, and Gruden.) "I like to watch Khalil Mack's practice," said Gruden on the MNF broadcast. "He sets the tone for the whole organization with his practice." "Data-reactid =" 27 "> Gruden spent time with Mack in training the week before the 2016 match in Mexico City and the two spoke to quarterback Texans Brock Osweiler – Mack fired five times Osweiler (Mack was incredulous that Denver only blocked it most of the time, and so did Gruden). MNF broadcast. "He sets the tone for the whole organization with his practices."

Mack sacked Osweiler once in Mexico at the end of the second quarter and won a handful of impressive stops in a 27-20 win against the Raiders. When he filled Braxton Miller for an option transfer of wild training, Gruden was delighted. "You do not want to run to Khalil Mack. He eats wild cats for breakfast, "Gruden said during the show. "You can not judge a great player on the sacks alone, and Mack did a great game right there."

A year later, when Oakland visited Philadelphia, Gruden was a lot less glowing about Mack. Eagles striker, Lane Johnson, was called for two sustaining calls while he faced Mack, but Gruden gave Johnson the win in a 19-10 Eagles victory.

"I thought Johnson was in great shape," Gruden said while watching a replay of one of the calls. "You'll see Khalil Mack jump. I did not see anything there. Yeah, I think Johnson did a great job against Mack tonight. I'm surprised they're not putting Mack back on the other side, because the left-back is that Johnson is a Pro Bowler. Take a look at Lane Johnson, the right tackle, working against Khalil Mack tonight. He did a great job keeping his clean quarterback in an individual pass protection. "

I attended this match and I do not think an unbiased analyst came in thinking that Johnson had done a "great job" on Mack. A great job just can not include two detention penalties against the same player. Mack won the second highest score in the team that night. He clearly won this match.

Context is the key here. The Raiders were out of the playoff hunt after entering the 2017 season as a favorite of the AFC West and claimed a Super Bowl contender. At this point in the season (week 16), Gruden was seriously considering taking the Oakland post or already making a verbal agreement with the team.

Did Gruden send a message to Mack – and Raiders fans – with this statement? Would Gruden have wanted the whole world to know that he did not take Mack to the highest level of consideration for the rest of the NFL community? And that he would not be willing to make him the highest paid defensive player in the NFL?

The story continues