Jon Gruden's first season with the Oakland Raiders has been marked by trading away two of the team's biggest stars and a 1-6 record.
He says that hasn't affected other players' desire to play for his team next season, however.
In an interview with Fox Sports that will air Thursday night before the Raiders' game against the San Francisco 49ers, Gruden tells former Raiders great Howie Long that players around the league have expressed their desire to play for him in 2019. Fox Sports released a preview of the interview Thursday morning.
"I got a cell phone just like you and everybody else. I get a lot of phone calls from people that are dying to come play here. I'm just telling you. They're dying to play for the Raiders," he said.
"And to have salary cap space and to have a chance to talk to the people that you really want to wear the Silver and Black, the guys you really want to wear the Silver and Black and represent this team, that's exciting."
Gruden is in the first season of a 10-year contract he signed this season to return as coach. His tenure began with the trade of star pass-rusher Khalil Mackto the Chicago Bears in a trade that netted the team two first-round picks (one in 2019, the other in 2020). And last week, the Raiders traded wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2019 first-round pick. On the field, the team is in last place in the AFC West with its lone win coming in Week 4, a 45-42 overtime victory over the Cleveland Browns.
The Raiders are estimated to have $68 million in salary cap space in 2019, according to OverTheCap.com. Oakland also will have three first-round picks in the 2019 draft.
He says that hasn't affected other players' desire to play for his team next season, however.
In an interview with Fox Sports that will air Thursday night before the Raiders' game against the San Francisco 49ers, Gruden tells former Raiders great Howie Long that players around the league have expressed their desire to play for him in 2019. Fox Sports released a preview of the interview Thursday morning.
"I got a cell phone just like you and everybody else. I get a lot of phone calls from people that are dying to come play here. I'm just telling you. They're dying to play for the Raiders," he said.
"And to have salary cap space and to have a chance to talk to the people that you really want to wear the Silver and Black, the guys you really want to wear the Silver and Black and represent this team, that's exciting."
Gruden is in the first season of a 10-year contract he signed this season to return as coach. His tenure began with the trade of star pass-rusher Khalil Mackto the Chicago Bears in a trade that netted the team two first-round picks (one in 2019, the other in 2020). And last week, the Raiders traded wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2019 first-round pick. On the field, the team is in last place in the AFC West with its lone win coming in Week 4, a 45-42 overtime victory over the Cleveland Browns.
The Raiders are estimated to have $68 million in salary cap space in 2019, according to OverTheCap.com. Oakland also will have three first-round picks in the 2019 draft.
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