Who got the better end of the Jon Gruden trade?

Mark Schlereth

Oakland You can't really assess who got the better end of the Gruden deal until next year. Both organizations got what they wanted. Tampa Bay got over the hump to a Super Bowl. And the Raiders got rid of a coach they didn't think they could re-sign anyway, replaced him with a coach within the organization that the players like, and they are also at the Super Bowl. But since I have to pick, I'll say the Raiders got the better deal. The Bucs were Super Bowl contenders with or without Gruden -- they just needed that elusive NFC championship. The Raiders are in somewhat of a salary cap purgatory, but they accomplished a lot to get here, and they've got a great young nucleus developing. And those two first-round and two second-round draft picks and $8 million will come in handy.

Mark Malone

Tampa Bay It depends on which side of the fence you sit on. But ultimately, the Bucs probably got the better end of the deal. The Raiders believe that they got to the Super Bowl without Jon Gruden, so perhaps he was standing in their way last year. And Al Davis got four draft picks and $8 million, which is great. It's difficult to quantify what a coach means to a football team because they don't suit up and they don't play, but in Tampa, we've seen the effect of great coaching with Gruden. Great coaching goes beyond design and philosophy. Great coaches are great teachers and leaders. Leaders are people who can make people do things that they were unwilling to do on their own. Tony Dungy is a great coach who rebuilt the Bucs franchise, but without Gruden's fire and without his leadership qualities, one could argue that the Bucs would not be where they are today (and for that matter, the same goes for the Raiders). Conversely, I'm not sure the four draft picks or the $8 million had that much effect on what the Raiders did this year.

Andrea Kremer

Tampa Bay The definitive answer will not come until Sunday. However, since I'm pressed for an answer now, I'd have to say the Buccaneers. As much as Tony Dungy is respected and missed in Tampa, there's no question that the Bucs went as far as they could under him. To take that next step, they had to bring in Gruden. Not just because of what he was able to do with the offense, since they just started coming around towards the end of the season, but for the way he gave the whole team a different mindset.

Joe Theismann

Oakland It's tough to say, because this was a fair deal all the way around. But because of the way free agency and salary caps are structured these days, and because of their aging veteran players, the draft picks will make a positive impact on the Raiders next year. The money is a moot point because they can't use it toward the cap. But with so many players in their late 30s, there may be an exceptional safety or wide receiver they can get in the draft. Even though they will be drafting 31st and 32nd, they are in a position to make deals.

Merril Hoge

Tampa Bay Because of Jon Gruden's creativity and awareness on offense, I'd have to say the Bucs. Gruden's game planning and play calling has elevated the Bucs to the Super Bowl. They've knocked on the door before, but couldn't get through. Gruden has helped them knock it down. So, the Bucs got the better end of the deal.