Some have said that "Gruden has replaced
Amari Cooper and two mid-round picks with
Antonio Brown and a first-rounder. That's a ridiculous upgrade" but is it really? Let's break it down.
Amari Cooper (24 year old) Top 5 Pick was traded for a Late 1st rounder= Massive fail. Based on what he did in Dallas after he left, the Raiders and Gruden had massive egg on their face
Antonio Brown (31 Year Old) was acquired for a 3rd and 5th round pick and paid $50 million dollars just to attempt to remove the egg that's on their face from the Cooper trade. Problem with the trade is AB is older, he has an attitude problem and the trade does not fit the Raider Model of rebuilding. Production wise Antonio Brown who was catching 100-120 balls a year with 12-15 TD's will probably be a 70-80 catch guy in Oakland and score 7-10 TD's next year and then down from there. He may breakout in the first season to prove himself but by the time the Raiders get to Las Vegas in 2020, AB will be 32 and clearly on the back 9 of his career, not a great situation for the Las Vegas Raiders. They paid for past production. They will roll into Vegas with the "Oldest" WR tandem in the NFL 35 year old Jordy Nelson and 32 year old Antonio Brown. Would have been awesome back in 2015, great work Gruden.
In the end:
Raiders Lose - 24 year old Amari Cooper (Top 5 Pick), 3rd round pick, 5th Round Pick
Raiders Gain - Late 1st rounder and an aging 31 year old veteran with a $50 Million dollar contract
EPIC FAIL