By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
Raiders coach Jon Gruden did a Zoom interview with the media Thursday. LVSportsBiz.com was curious about Gruden’s responses to sports reporters’ questions that involved the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the team. Here are the coronavirus-related questions and Gruden’s comments:
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Q: Did any players opt out?
Gruden: I have not heard of any of our players doing that, so I’m pleased to announce that.
Q: Are you placing any players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list right now?
Gruden: I don’t have any to report yet. It’s a daily process. So far, so good. But I don’t have any to report today.
Q: What’s your understanding of cutting from 90 players to 80 players and what difficulties do you think you’ll have in doing that?
Gruden: The tough decision is do you keep your roster at a certain number. They don’t want so many people in the building at the same time. So, we’re wrestling with what to do. Obviously, if you release players to get down to 80 where you can keep the team practicing and around each other together, you have to release 10 players basically that you really haven’t even had a chance to see in pads. [General Manager] Mike Mayock and I are discussing it daily and we’re going to do what we think is best for our team.
They don’t want so many people in the building at the same time. So, we’re wrestling with what to do
Q: You guys have dealt with moving, as well as the pandemic, in the offseason. What have been the biggest challenges of doing both at the same time?
Gruden: I’m no different than everybody else. It’s just been hard. I’m worried about my kids, my mom and dad, my family, my brothers, my friends and I’m worried about all our players. I’m really worried about Las Vegas; I love this place. We were eager to have the draft here. We are eager to make some friends here and have some real exciting times as we make our move here. We have the best facility, the best stadium I’ve ever seen in my life and I’ve seen a lot having been a former broadcaster. I miss being around people. I’m a handsy guy, I like to hug people and high-five them. It’s been tough on America, it’s been tough on the world and I just want to keep reiterating that to our players. We got to beat the virus. That’s our challenge right now. We got to beat the virus right now to have a chance to play.
I’m no different than everybody else. It’s just been hard. I’m worried about my kids, my mom and dad, my family, my brothers, my friends and I’m worried about all our players. I’m really worried about Las Vegas; I love this place.
Q: How much is responsibility on the end of the players to be diligent in adhering to all the protocols, not just while they are in the building but outside of the building, for this time to get through a season in a way that manages COVID-19 as best as possible?
Gruden: To me that’s the number one goal. What you do in the building is being evaluated in the strength room, in the training room, on the field, in the meeting rooms. We can’t evaluate everything that you do off the field, so we have a player’s committee. We have great leadership here that understands that one mistake can be our demise. One mistake can bring us all down in a real bad way. It’s not just becoming to football; it can create a terrible illness. So, I want to dominate when we leave the building. We want to crush this virus. We want to beat this virus into the ground, and I can use those words because it’s not on our schedule but it is an opponent that we have not been able to beat, and it can really break you down physically. I know a lot of people that have had it and have it, and it’s an awful thing and we don’t want to have anything to do with it but beat it.
One mistake can bring us all down in a real bad way. It’s not just becoming to football; it can create a terrible illness. So, I want to dominate when we leave the building. We want to crush this virus. We want to beat this virus into the ground
Q: Because of the pandemic there obviously has been no offseason and no preseason either. That seems like it would affect the undrafted free agent rookies more than it would anyone else. Are you able to do anything to try to make up for the lack of offseason and preseason?
Gruden: Well, we are trying to be as creative as possible. You can’t watch practice or be around, but we are trying really hard to be on the cutting edge of technology, coaching and teaching our system, making our philosophies standard for everybody. We are trying to raise the bar around here. I’ve never met Cory Littleton, never met him. You know we paid this guy a lot of money to be our feature defensive player. There is a lot of free agents I have not had hands on contact with either. And we are not the lone ranger, everybody in the league is going through this. We have to do the best we can. It’s not going to be the most equitable, fairest season. Some teams are going to be hit hard by this virus, some teams might not. Some teams might have fans, some teams might have cardboard cutouts. I don’t know but we just got to deal with it. We got to try to be creative. Fortunately, I think we got a great coaching staff that can really teach the game and that’s what I’m relying on most.
Some teams are going to be hit hard by this virus, some teams might not. Some teams might have fans, some teams might have cardboard cutouts. I don’t know but we just got to deal with it.
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