Oakland Raiders Draft News
It's one year later and the Raiders and Bucs are all tied up. The trade that sent Jon Gruden to the Bucs last February has thus far been a win-win situation for both parties. The Bucs and Raiders both ended up where they hoped they would be - the Super Bowl. Of course, the Raiders were also able to add Philip Buchanon and Doug Jolley. These two rookies made immediate contributions to the Raiders in 2002 and look set to start at their positions for many years to come. The Raiders were also able to add $8 million to their pockets by trading Gruden. And we're not done yet. The Raiders will receive the Bucs 1st-round pick in this April's NFL draft and the Bucs 2nd round pick in the 2004 draft.
But look further than that and see what else the Raiders gained by allowing Bill Callahan to take over the team:
The team's best December (4-1) and best finish (7-1) in decades.
Fresh legs that got better as the playoffs marched on, a far cry from the slumping team that Gruden limped to the playoffs in the last two seasons.
A calm presence that allowed Jerry Porter to become the NFL's most improved player.
A diverse offense that doesn't sit on leads, and thus, doesn't blow them.
And remember that Jon Gruden had already told the Raiders that he would NOT coach in Oakland after this season had he been retained. So we received all of the above in exchange for one year of Jon Gruden's services. The trade? So far so good, and it's only going to get better. Win or lose on Super Bowl sunday, Al Davis did the right thing.