As names began to emerge as potential substitutes, like Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther, shortly after his resignation, most potential candidates had a common theme: everyone had worked with Jon Gruden in the past.
Like many NFL coaches, Gruden likes to stay close to his roots and that’s what happened on Tuesday when he hired Gus Bradley, his lineback coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2006 to 2008.
Gruden also interviewed Kris Richard, who never worked with Gruden, but he worked with defense confidant Rod Marinelli. Other job-related names prior to Bradley’s hiring were Raheem Morris and Joe Barry, both of whom have worked for Gruden in the past.
It never seemed like Gruden would try to hire Dan Quinn or Wade Phillips, because he didn’t have a real history with them.
Bradley’s rental fits Gruden. Perhaps Gruden had hired Bradley in 2018 when he returned to the Raiders, but Bradley was already on the Chargers’ team. So, Gruden went with Guenther on his return to the NFL after 10 seasons away. Guenther worked with Gruden’s brother Jay at Cincinnati Bengals.
This Bradley signing is important to Gruden. If the Raiders’ defense doesn’t improve enough for the team to become a consistent playoff candidate, will owner Mark Davis give Gruden a chance to hire a third defensive coordinator? Davis may lose his temper at this point.
Therefore, Gruden has to get it right. He clearly feels comfortable moving on with someone he knows well. I manage that the comfort level is important, but sometimes getting out of the box is a worthwhile effort. Bradley is a great defensive coach, but there are many others out there too. It may have been worth Gruden’s time to take a closer look and expand his network in the search.