“Deshaun Watson, Deshaun Watson, Deshaun Wat … (pause) … (drumroll) … Russell Wilson!!!!”
That is what happened Thursday after a slow week in the NFL’s offseason news cycle. The Deshaun Watson trade rumors, after a month of no new developments, got tired and stale, but Russell Wilson swooped in and saved the day by offering up a list of four teams that he would play for if traded.
And somewhere in Henderson, Nev., Jon Gruden is smiling big.
Not that the Raiders coach covets Wilson or is looking to move on from Derek Carr. Wilson could have named any team, but he didn’t. His agent told ESPN that Wilson wants to stay in Seattle but if the bickering leads to a divorce, he would only go to the Raiders, Cowboys, Saints or Bears. That’s the beauty of a no-trade clause.
Gruden has been bruised and battered his first three seasons back with the Raiders, but something he was mocked for saying in 2018 has turned true: Players around the league think he is cool (I am paraphrasing) and would like to play for him.
On that recent podcast with Cris Collinsworth, cornerback Richard Sherman was tampering with Gruden as much as Gruden was with him. J.J. Watt is a free agent likely to choose a Super Bowl contender, but I guarantee he didn’t brush off the Raiders’ inquiry for one reason: Gruden.
Sometimes Gruden’s manic energy and deadpan humor are not enough, as shown last spring when cornerback Byron Jones picked the Dolphins’ ridiculous offer over the Raiders’ ridiculous offer for just a few dollars more. But the pandemic is starting to lift in Las Vegas, and this offseason Gruden could be able to wine and dine free agents and show them the beautiful new stadium and state-of-the-art facility. Throw in no state taxes and Gruden should be able to add some very good players.
Will one of them be Wilson? Almost certainly not, as the Seahawks would have a dead salary-cap hit of $39 million if they move Wilson. But whereas the Raiders are usually thrown into rumors because it’s easy leverage, this one has some baby teeth to it as Wilson’s representative actually spoke their name.
And there is no other reason for that besides Gruden, unless Ciara really, really wants to have an extended run of concerts at the MGM. Wilson certainly didn’t watch the Raiders’ defensive breakdowns on prime time last season and say, “That looks fun.”
Carr, meanwhile, probably chuckled when he heard Thursday’s news. It was only a year ago that the Raiders were doing some light flirting with free agent Tom Brady, and as Carr said, if you’re not at least having a conversation with the greatest quarterback of all time, then you’re probably doing something wrong.
Brady went on to win the Super Bowl in Tampa Bay. Wilson is a top-five quarterback, and if the Seahawks called Gruden someday, the Raiders would throw together an offer. It would be wrong not to.
And, as the Raiders are the only AFC team on Wilson’s list, they might be Seattle’s preferred business partner. But that’s a long way off.
In the meantime, as the NFL media chefs prepare to chop up and serve you Wilson 100 different ways in the next month, Raiders fans can just think of Gruden.
And smile.
(Photo: Naomi Baker / Getty Images)
