Given Gruden’s history, Raiders should tread lightly with ‘Diva’ WRs

The Las Vegas Raiders were recently at the center of a rumor swirling on Twitter regarding Cleveland Browns’ wide receiver, Odell Beckham Jr. It’s juicy hearsay for sure, especially when you consider that every offseason it seems Jon Gruden’s squad is linked to big-name players.

Last month, the team was connected to JuJu Smith-Schuster after he dropped Las Vegas as a possible destination this offseason.

Nevertheless, whether these rumors are unfounded or not, it raises a potential red flag. Particularly, Gruden’s history with big-name wide receivers and more often than not, the bigger the personality, the bigger the fallout.

Do the Raiders even need a wide receiver?

The Silver and Black have several matters at hand with the wide receiver position. First off, the situation with Nelson Agholor has to be addressed. Other than Darren Waller, he was the team’s top receiver but there’s a chance he might not be back. Las Vegas could also part ways with Tyrell Williams to give themselves some financial flexibility.

Let’s say the organization loses both receivers, the wide receiver corps is left devoid of a true number one receiver. Henry Ruggs III will look to have a bigger impact in his sophomore campaign but still has developing to do.

Bryan Edwards has to prove he can stay healthy and on the field. Meanwhile, the team knows what they have in Hunter Renfrow, a dependable and tough option but he’s not that ‘elite’ option.

If that’s the case, then perhaps, Beckham or Smith-Schuster could make sense. The question is, can Gruden handle players that have been labeled ‘divas’ due to their antics and at times, outrageous behavior?