Raiders introduce newly acquired receiver Antonio Brown

ALAMEDA

Jon Gruden got angry for a moment during Antonio Brown’s introductory press conference.

Brown, 31, is a seven-time Pro Bowler who has gained at least 1,200 receiving yards and caught at least eight touchdown passes six seasons in a row. The Raiders acquired him in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a ?third-round pick and a fifth-round pick, a shrewd deal for the Raiders.

A reporter had asked Gruden if he plans to adjust his conservative passing game, which emphasizes short throws, to accommodate Brown, an explosive wide receiver down the field. But the reporter prefaced the question by mentioning former Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper, whom the team traded last October. Gruden didn’t like hearing about Cooper.

Here’s why.

In 2014, Gruden was a television analyst for ESPN. Minutes before the Raiders drafted Cooper, Gruden excitedly said Cooper was the downfield threat the Raiders needed. “Put him in this offense with Derek Carr, and light people up throwing the ball down the field,” Gruden said.

In 2018, Gruden became Cooper’s head coach, but didn’t light people up throwing the ball downfield to him. Strangely, Gruden used Cooper as a possession receiver who mostly ran shallow routes, then traded him. After the trade, Raiders owner Mark Davis said, “(Cooper) just didn’t work out in our system.”

At Wednesday’s press conference, the reporter reminded Gruden of those quotes, then asked if he needs to tweak his system to get Brown the ball deep as frequently as the Steelers did. After all, Brown and Cooper are similar receivers who like to run through wide-open spaces downfield, not through traffic and congestion over the middle.

Gruden glared at the reporter. “I’m not sure what the point of your question is regarding Amari Cooper,” Gruden said through clenched teeth.

The reporter repeated his question. This time, Gruden had an answer. “No, we won’t have to adjust anything. We didn’t have to adjust much with Amari. But this is not about comparing receivers. We want to continue to improve this football team. We don’t want to have a good receiving corps; I want to have the best receiving corps in football, and I think to have the best (corps) you have to have the best (receiver). And in my opinion, we acquired the best wide receiver in football.”

Brown is an elite receiver and his talent is not in question. But his fit in Gruden’s offense might be. On the Steelers, Brown had lots of opportunities to run downfield and catch long passes. On the Raiders, he may not. Gruden, a West Coast Offense devotee, rarely calls passes that travel 10 or more yards past the line of scrimmage, because he believes in a safety-first offense that features short passes and runs between the tackles.

Watching Gruden practice offense at the Raiders’ Alameda facility, Al Davis once told a confidant, “I spend all this money on all this grass, and Gruden makes receivers run routes they could run in my backyard in Piedmont (a township next to Oakland).” Davis traded Gruden to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers shortly after.

Brown did not sound concerned about his role in Gruden’s offense. “He’s going to put you in situations to be successful,” Brown explained. “We’ve already been talking about different formations to line me up in different positions, different verbiage we can use so I can get lined up faster.

“He’s a real genius at offense. Just the details of how he studies. Earlier today, he had a clip of 400 plays (of Brown) with details of every play, the good and the bad. He rarely talks about the good. He always focuses on the bad. He’s never content. It’s always constant improvement. That’s a guy I want to be around.”

Brown is with the Raiders because he didn’t want to be around the Steelers. He forced his way off the team. He walked out of a Wednesday practice before the final game of the regular season, then went AWOL until the Saturday before the game. When he finally returned to the team, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin refused to play Brown. After the season, Brown demanded a trade.

“Pittsburgh will always be my family,” Brown said Wednesday. “Those guys gave me a chance when I was a 21-year-old kid. Obviously, people listen to the things that are being said and written. But it’s all about how you make people feel. I think I made people feel really great and really inspired the way I go to work, the way I play.”

Brown, who attended Central Michigan, clearly inspires Gruden with his talent and work ethic. “I get excited because of where this guy comes from,” Gruden said. “He wasn’t a Division I (player in college). He did it the hard way. He has done everything in his power to be the best he can possibly be. His body of work is not only impressive, it’s fun to watch.

“He’s electrifying after the catch. He’s a great competitor. He wins the 50-50 ball. He’s outstanding in short areas. You have a great imagination as a football coach when you coach a man like that. He can play split end, flanker or slot. He can return punts and sell popcorn at halftime. We’re going to put him to good work.”

Forget the popcorn, will the Raiders let him run deep? The answer will present itself soon enough.