Does it make sense to move on from Amari Cooper and Karl Joseph?

Before the game even started the Oakland Raiders found themselves in drama as trade rumors concerning Amari Cooper and Karl Joseph began to surface.

Last Week the Oakland Raiders put on their most embarrassing performance in years in a 26-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, or so we thought. They decided to one-up themselves on Sunday by taking laying an even bigger egg in London against the Seattle Seahawks as they were crushed 27-3.

And before that beating, a report from Fox’s Jay Glazer came out during Fox NFL Sunday pre-game that Oakland are shopping both Amari Cooper and Karl Joseph. Which should have been a sign that the day was on course to be a bad one.

Both Cooper and Joseph were first round picks in 2015 and 2016 respectively, but their play has been inconsistent in their short careers.

To be honest, none of this surprises me one bit, and I can’t understand why any Raiders fan would be shocked to hear something like this. If this season has taught us anything, it is that no one on this roster is safe.

Now after the game, Jon Gruden denied the reports but what coach would actually say their shopping a player after just playing a game? Especially Cooper who suffered a concussion after taking a big hit from Seattle safety Bradley McDougald early in the second quarter.

So Gruden can deny the claims, but at this point, he has given us very little reason to trust his word. He said he wanted to win in Oakland, but has been laying down the groundwork for a total rebuild ever since he stepped in the door. He said he’d re-sign Khalil Mack and we know how that went. And he said the ball would go to Marshawn Lynch down at the goal line, which has not happened a majority of the time.

Gruden has dug himself a big hole, and if he had just been entirely truthful about the state of the team from the get-go, this disastrous start and reports like Glazer’s would not have fans in such a frenzy.

Because from a front office perspective, I see the logic in moving on from Cooper and Joseph if you’re making it clear from the start that you’re completely remaking this team. Cooper has been up and down in his production and will be looking for a new contract this coming offseason, and the front office has to ask themselves if he’s really worth it. For Joseph, they clearly don’t feel he fits their scheme and coaches often opt to just move on from such players instead of finding a way to fit them in. And with Joseph being injured they probably are ready to just replace him with someone they won’t have to pay in two years.

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But the problems arise when you tell the media that Amari Cooper is going to be the focal point of your passing game and he doesn’t even lead the team in targets. If Cooper is the number one receiver on your team, there is no excuse for not being able to manufacture touches for him. I watch other offenses every Sunday find ways to get their best players the football, and the last time I heard, Gruden was an offensive genius.

So what is the issue?

Gruden and company have lucked out with Joseph due to his injury, so they haven’t had to address his playtime.

It is funny though that Cooper and Joseph who are both represented by Joel Segal (who also represents Khalil Mack) are the ones who might be shopped. Gruden has made it clear that if you are not willing to play by his terms he will get rid of you and I’m sure Segal is not going to give an inch when contract negotiations begin for both Cooper and Joseph. They obviously won’t be demanding Mack level money, but as I said earlier, Oakland likely doesn’t feel either player is worth market value.

So why not trade them with the hope of getting more picks to draft their replacements?

Rebuilding isn’t an unfathomable way of thinking, but Gruden’s approach to this has made him seem insincere and frankly incompetent. This report concerning Cooper and Joseph is just another possible example of such.

Also, I am still trying to figure out why we should trust Gruden to adequately replace these players in the draft or free agency given is history, but that a story for another day.