Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden is entering the second year of his new gig. And despite what was a disaster of a 2018 season, he’s more enthusiastic and fiery than ever before.
Gruden’s signature personality was on display Thursday morning during a combine press conference in Indianapolis. He offered a few quotable quotes discussing some hot topics, including the team’s quarterback situation, Kyler Murray, and Antonio Brown.
Discussing Derek Carr, Gruden solidified what rookie general manager Mike Mayock said about the quarterback.
Jon Gruden reiterated what Mayock said yesterday, that “Derek Carr is our franchise quarterback. Let me make that clear.”
— Scott Bair (@ScottBairNFL) February 28, 2019
Shortly after that, Gruden was asked about the Khalil Mack trade once again — a constant source of fodder for the media last year — and admitted he “is sensitive” about it.
Gruden was asked about Mack trade twice. One answer: "I get tired of you bringing that up, Khalil Mack. We made the trade for a lot of reasons. Whether it's popular or not, we did what we had to do. …It's hard to replace a guy like that. It's sensitive. I'm sensitive about it."
— Scott Bair (@ScottBairNFL) February 28, 2019
Regarding Kyler Murray, Gruden took a bit of a shot at the media over speculation that the Raiders could be considering the quarterback after he gushed over him during Senior Bowl week.
Jon Gruden: "People try to read between the lines. Some guy asked me a question at the Senior Bowl about Kyler Murray and all of a sudden … Honest to God, Jiminy Christmas. People will write whatever they want."
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) February 28, 2019
It is worth noting that the Raiders had meetings with both Murray and Dwayne Haskins on Wednesday. So, the idea that the media’s fascination with Oakland potentially taking one of them early in the draft isn’t just idle speculation.
A bit later on, Gruden was asked about whether Oakland has reached out to Pittsburgh about a trade for receiver Antonio Brown. That’s when he offered a quote that would make Jerry Jones proud.
Gruden was asked if the Raiders were one of the teams that reached out to the Steelers about Antonio Brown. "I don't know. I don't have any comment on any of that. I'm not going to take the cheese on that."
— Scott Bair (@ScottBairNFL) February 28, 2019
That’s not a “no,” for what it’s worth.
All in all, Gruden’s press conference was entertaining and lively. Just what you might expect from a guy who’s become extremely comfortable being in front of the camera.
But one has to believe the coach is feeling at least a bit of pressure entering this offseason. With the team’s move to Las Vegas just one year away, the time is now to make something happen, especially after such a tumultuous first year back in Oakland.