Graney: Raiders desire to build roster trumped red flags

Even now, arsenic the Raiders descend deeper into their figurative week from hellhole — what successful the satellite mightiness hap next? — this portion ne'er changes: Nothing is much important to an NFL squad than gathering its roster. Nothing trumps uncovering those players you judge are bully capable to win.

No substance however overmuch troubling accusation is uncovered beforehand.

“At the extremity of the day,” wide manager Mike Mayock said successful May of 2019 connected the signing of oft-troubled defender Richie Incognito, “you can’t person each Boy Scouts.”

At slightest helium backs up his words.

Damon Arnette is the latest young player to beryllium shown the doorway by the Raiders. While pending lawsuits and reportedly crashing 4 rental cars successful the span of a period arsenic a rookie (hey, I recovered idiosyncratic who’s a worse operator than me) lets you support your time occupation arsenic a second-year cornerback, a societal media video of you brandishing firearms and threatening to termination idiosyncratic benignant of forces the organization’s hand.

Arnette’s exit Monday followed that of chap 2020 first-round draught prime Henry Ruggs, the wide receiver waived pursuing his involvement successful a car clang that near 23-year-old Tina Tintor dead.

What has happened to that 2020 draught people — wherever lone 3 of 7 selections stay — has nary bearing connected 2019 oregon ’21 oregon those to travel later.

But the Raiders besides conscionable mislaid 2 first-round picks from the aforesaid people successful a substance of 7 days for actions that tin champion beryllium described arsenic horribly reckless and perchance violent. That’s connected the individuals archetypal and past the squad that chose them — contempt a postulation of reddish flags.

“Am I sick to my tummy close present connected a batch of levels?” Mayock said. “Yes. I mentioned we recovered the hazard acceptable aft doing much homework connected Arnette than anybody we’ve done successful the years I’ve been here, and evidently we missed. That is 100 percent connected me.”

And, don’t forget, Jon Gruden.

Power and juice

He mightiness person resigned arsenic caput manager pursuing the unearthing of respective insensitive emails, but nary 1 held the powerfulness and power and decision-making foodstuff of Gruden. If determination was extended probe done connected a subordinate similar Arnette and the Raiders inactive drafted him, recognize who made the last call.

Just don’t bargain into this ignorant communicative making the rounds: That what occurred with Ruggs and Arnette had much to bash with them playing successful Las Vegas than thing else. It’s lazy. Cliche.

Have you seen the municipality and its 24-hour entreaty impact immoderate Golden Knights oregon Aces players successful specified a antagonistic manner? The Raiders person drafted countless men who person been coagulated citizens and terrific successful the community. Incognito has, by each accounts, been 1 arsenic well.

Look. The spot (Topgolf) wherever Ruggs reportedly began his nighttime of drinking closed astatine midnight. He past went to the location of friends and is said to person continued partying. It was a spot that could person conscionable arsenic easy existed successful Green Bay oregon Jacksonville oregon Cleveland. Las Vegas isn’t the problem. Irresponsible and unsafe radical are.

“There is ever conversations astir antithetic players and what their ‘fit’ is,” Mayock said. “Can a state kid unrecorded successful a large city, oregon vice versa? My happening is this: In conscionable astir immoderate mid-to-big size metropolis successful the country, if you privation to find trouble, you tin find it. And our occupation is to find the kids that volition get past that.”

Do much research

People privation it to beryllium much than this, but it mightiness not be: Instead of immoderate systemic occupation wherever a bulk of players mightiness present wrongly beryllium painted with the aforesaid metallic and achromatic brush, we mightiness simply beryllium talking astir 2 atrocious guys.

I suppose, then, it’s connected the Raiders to bash adjacent much probe and wage adjacent much heed to those reddish flags.

But if they deliberation a dude tin play — and I mean truly play — past is beauteous wide for astir NFL teams. Building a roster is paramount. Issues tin ever beryllium explained distant and addressed later.

Yet sometimes, arsenic we saw successful the astir tragic and disturbing of ways this past week, players yet marque the determination for you.

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.