"We know Jon Gruden wanted total control" - Michael Irvin speculates former Raiders HC's power hunger cost the team Tom Brady
Raiders fans have plenty of reasons to be upset with Jon Gruden if what they are hearing about his role in Tom Brady's 2020 free agent decision happens to be truthful.
On Undisputed with Skip and Shannon co-host Shannon Sharpe believes that Gruden was far too power hungry to ever allow someone like Brady to challenge his locker room structure.
Michael Irvin took that a step further, saying that there's a real possibility Gruden would have felt threatened by Brady leading the Raiders to the Super Bowl. Irvin also claimed the possibility stealing the spotlight away from the head coach:
"And (Jon) Gruden this year, Jon Gruden also probably could have been saying, listen, if he does come in and win a Super Bowl, I know nobody's saying this and I know everybody's pounding on Jon Gruden and God, he deserves it whenever you let Tom Brady get away."
"But what happens if Tom Brady does win the Super Bowl? Who's in control of my organization there? You know, we got Bruce Arians now on the sideline for some reason. He said it wasn't Tom Brady pushing him out. That means he got total control."
"We know Gruden wanted total control. So I'm not saying that's the reason he did. I'm saying but we can look at it as a possibility of the reason he did."
More from Dana White talking about Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski’s intentions to play for the #Raiders until Jon Gruden decided not to do it:
Dana says Brady was “not happy” when the deal didn’t happen.
“I thought I would never tell that story publicly.” https://t.co/R6WERdQNbX
Mark Davis knew of Raiders' Tom Brady pursuit before Jon Gruden shut it down
Raiders owner Mark Davis played dumb when asked about the Raiders' Tom Brady 2020 free agent pursuit, but Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio revealed that Davis was in on every detail of it.
This Tom Brady-Raiders story is incredible when you put it all together https://t.co/INFMUVmWEH
According to Florio, Davis had UFC owner Dana White working with the then-Patriots quarterback with everything ultimately being shut down by Gruden:
"A source with knowledge of the situation has offered to refresh the memory of Mark Davis. Per the source, Davis knew exactly what was happening. White brokered the deal with both sides — Brady and the Raiders."
"Davis, per the source, wanted it to happen, at least as it related to Brady. (And, presumably, as to Gronk.) But, as White said, coach (Jon) Gruden decided at the last minute to kill the deal."
Gruden got himself in trouble for the content of his emails, but he may get himself in even more trouble with Raiders fans for letting his ego preclude the franchise from landing Tom Brady.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit First Take, Pro Football Talk and H/T Sportskeeda.