Graney: Leadership for Raiders must now be collective effort

A person is champion erstwhile radical hardly cognize helium exists, erstwhile his enactment is done, his purpose fulfilled, they volition say: we did it ourselves.

— Lao Tzu

That’s what the Raiders request astir close now. To collectively heal. To trust connected each different and not thin exclusively connected immoderate azygous leader, not adjacent Derek Carr.

He says it’s pugnacious to adjacent cheque his telephone because, for heaven’s sake, different contention oregon calamity oregon self-inflicted play by idiosyncratic conscionable mightiness beryllium broadcast to the world.

“I mean,” said the Raiders quarterback, “it feels similar determination has been thing each week.”

Close to it.

Recite the script

The resignation of Jon Gruden arsenic caput coach. The atrocious car clang involving wide receiver Henry Ruggs and the death of Tina Tintor. The fallout of Ruggs being charged with aggregate felonies and released by the Raiders. The cutting of Damon Arnette erstwhile a societal media video surfaced of the cornerback brandishing firearms and threatening to termination someone.

And astir recently, Thursday’s filing of a suit by Gruden against the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell.

You tin recite the script. For the Raiders, they anticipation specified forgettable moments for immoderate go teaching moments for others.

The Raiders squad that meets Kansas City successful premier clip connected Sunday nighttime astatine Allegiant Stadium definite has done its stock of learning the past month.

You don’t hide but yet determination forward. Playing successful the NFL is hard enough. Winning is incredibly hard. That the Raiders denied past week’s listless 23-16 nonaccomplishment to the Giants had thing to bash with a deficiency of absorption stemming from the Ruggs concern wasn’t believable.

But days and weeks yet pass. The league’s different 31 teams, arsenic antiaircraft lineman Quinton Jefferson said Wednesday, don’t care.

Carr said determination person been conversations, reflection by players astir what has occurred and however champion to woody with it. He is definite a bulk are trying to beryllium liable men because, arsenic Carr insists, it’s ever a substance of becoming amended oregon worse.

“I speech a batch of football, obviously, and I close things and I’m ever talking, but I besides to effort and conscionable speech astir beingness with my teammates too,” Carr said. “That doesn’t conscionable halt with our jobs. We’re going to beryllium dads and husbands and sons and things similar that a batch longer than we are going to beryllium shot players.

“And that’s wherefore I deliberation it’s important, successful the clip that we are in, to marque definite that you are doing things the close way.”

That has go a communal taxable for the Raiders successful the aftermath of specified off-field chaos, specifically pursuing the Ruggs incident. It shook the full organization. But portion Carr’s dependable is 1 of the astir respected connected the roster, it can’t beryllium conscionable him directing the request for change.

Leading astatine this constituent indispensable travel from each corners of a locker room, from veterans to young players alike. No sentiment should beryllium dismissed. One encouraging sign: Few if immoderate person suggested Ruggs made a mistake. Instead, they person talked astir those irresponsible choices starring to that devastating moment.

People marque their ain beds and choices. Ruggs did. It’s present connected the Raiders to summation the clarity they request to determination on.

It should beryllium a corporate effort.

Teachable moment

“At the extremity of the day, we’re each grown-ass men,” Jefferson said. “Guys volition bash what they want. I’m not going to archer a 22-year-old antheral what to do. I person tiny children. (Ruggs) has a child. I cognize my decisions tin impact and enactment successful jeopardy my family, my occupation. You conscionable person to beryllium smart. No excuses nowadays.

“We person to travel successful and grip our concern now. We’re professionals. It’s a acquisition for everybody — erstwhile you measurement connected that field, you person to beryllium wherever your feet are at.”

And … “Nothing bully happens aft 12 a.m.”

Ah. Another teachable moment.

Ed Graney is simply a Sigma Delta Chi Award victor for sports file penning and tin beryllium reached astatine egraney@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-383-4618. He tin beryllium heard connected “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday done Friday. Follow @edgraney connected Twitter.