Raiders: Jon Gruden should probably expect a fine after blatant tampering with Richard Sherman

The Las Vegas Raiders head coach made a pitch to impending free agent Richard Sherman, which will earn him a fine for tampering.

In year three of the Jon Gruden era, the Las Vegas Raiders were the closest they’ve been to making the playoffs. However, a Week 16 loss to the Miami Dolphins curtailed any hopes they had of making the postseason.

The Raiders have an obvious weakness, and that’s their defense. Gruden already has a new defensive coordinator in Gus Bradley and will now look to spend some money on the open market to get the Raiders over the hump. He has his eyes on one target already, and it might earn him a fine.

During an appearance on “The Cris Collinsworth Podcast,” Gruden spoke to impending free-agent cornerback Richard Sherman, who co-hosts the show, and basically recruited him to Vegas. The problem is, Sherman is technically a member of the San Francisco 49ers until March 17. Gruden knew he could be fined but still went about recruiting him.

Gruden trying to get a head start in free agent recruiting

“Yes I have. I’ve been fined, I’ve been punished very, very harshly,” said Gruden. “Richard Sherman, if you are a free agent, which there is a rumor you are, we are looking for an alpha presence in our secondary. Somebody that could play this Hawk 3-press technique with the read step. If you’re available and interested, maybe you and I can get together at some point off air.”

Gruden obviously came prepared on the podcast, as Sherman mentioned back on an episode in December that his chances of re-signing with the 49ers are slim. Considering Gruden has a $100 million contract, he figured even a hefty fine was worth trying to persuade Sherman to the Raiders.

An anonymous general manager told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk that this was an instance of “blatant tampering.” The NFL declined to comment on the situation when asked by Florio.

It’s no secret that the Raiders need all the help they can get in the secondary. This past season, the Raiders’ pass defense ranked 26th in the NFL (263.3 air yards allowed per game) and recorded just 10 interceptions (tied for fifth-fewest in league).

Adding Sherman would help fortify Las Vegas’ defensive backfield. Not to mention Sherman has familiarity with Bradley’s defensive scheme, as he played under Bradley in his final two seasons as Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator (2011-12). But it all comes down to Sherman’s asking price. Gruden is showing he is willing to eat a huge fine if it helps him secure Sherman once the 2021 league year begins.