Gruden supports Raiders' oft-criticized offseason moves

Jon Gruden has heard all of the talk about the Las Vegas Raiders' offseason moves.

The Raiders were criticized for using a first-round pick on tackle Alex Leatherwood, signing running back Kenyan Drake for $5.5 million per year, and trading away offensive linemen Rodney Hudson and Trent Brown. However, Gruden is feeling good about his new roster.

"Obviously, we like it on paper," Gruden said, per NFL.com's Kevin Patra. "We made some changes that are, you know, in some people's eyes, questionable. But we're younger, I think we're faster. I think we do have more depth. It's hard to update that question right now without seeing everything in pads at full strength."

Gruden is entering the fourth season of his second stint as the Raiders' coach. Although the team has made strides in each of the past three campaigns, it's yet to finish above .500.

Las Vegas lost three of its last four games in 2020 and missed the playoffs with an 8-8 record. But Gruden sees areas the Raiders can build on for 2021.

"We proved we can compete in the AFC West. We proved we can win on the road. Now we've got to prove we can win at a much higher level," Gruden said.

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