One veteran still left in the Oakland Raiders locker room has said he thinks the organization is trying to trade anyone they can right now.
An article written by Tyler Dunne at the Bleacher Report quotes one of the few remaining veterans of a dismantled Raiders team as saying, "They're trying to find a reason," he says, "to get anybody out of here." The unnamed veteran made these comments following anonymous players tearing into quarterback Derek Carr for (allegedly) crying, and rumors that controversial coach Jon Gruden is looking to continue trading Raider assets as he rebuilds the organization.
The 1-7 Raiders are currently a disaster of a football team and have been front page in NFL news this season, making questionable trades and moving out star players in what most fans see as a head-scratching series of moves. Gruden moved Khalil Mack in a deal that infuriated much of the fanbase, moved Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys and removed a number of players out of the lineup for multiple reasons. Most don't think the coach is close to done making moves even though he's said he won't trade anyone else.
Raiders players are avoiding the media like the plague, many know their jobs aren't safe and most don't seem to understand the plan. The Raiders used to be a team that had energy, were playoff contenders and defined a certain style of football. Now, no one seems to know what they are, only that they're losing games to anyone and everyone. Cornerback Daryl Worley said, "We know it's a building process, but no one likes losing." He added there's a sense of frustration around the team because "You don't get into this game to lose—that's never our intention. ... It's definitely tough. You really play the game to win."
There are others in the locker room who view things differently. "It's our job as veterans to just do our damn jobs," said Tight end Lee Smith who believes no matter what the plan is in Oakland, the players still left are paid well to do a job.
All the while, there's no telling whether or not continued losses means more moves.
Perhaps the bigger issue is that the players don't necessarily trust their coach. Many of the players were told Amari Cooper wouldn't be traded and he was then moved to Dallas. Gruden talked to the media before his own team after the deal was consummated and that left a bad taste in everyone's mouth. As Dunne wrote, "When your boss is so obviously focused on the future, on Vegas, on a team he doesn't even have right now, it's difficult to buy into what he's saying in the present." That seems to be a huge issue in Oakland these days and the players can feel it.