NAPA, Calif. — Things were remarkably quiet here for the Rams/Raiders joint practice on Wednesday, even with the Antonio Brown drama beginning to unfold, and even with the premiere of Hard Knocks having aired 12 hours earlier.
My big takeaway—Jon Gruden was at peace. The team in front of him was bigger and faster than the 2018 Raiders. The players knew what to expect of him, much more so than they had a year ago. He’d gotten a full season under his belt, after a decade away. And by his side was a new GM, in Mike Mayock, whom he saw as ideal to carry out his plan.