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The Washington Redskins appear to be part of the aftermath of Jon Gruden returning to the Oakland Raiders to become their head coach. Redskins will be losing one of their assistant strength and conditioning coaches, as Deuce Gruden is leaving to join his father’s coaching staff in Oakland.
Deuce his uncle Jay’s coaching staff with the Redskins in 2016 as an intern. He was then brought on full-time for the 2017 season. Deuce has made a name for himself beyond who he is related to, as he is a world weightlifting champion. His “guns” have been featured and a topic of discussion throughout the season.
Before we say goodbye to Deuce Gruden, let's remember the good times. Like when he tried to teach me to weight lift @ Muscle Beach pic.twitter.com/eNhUySdY15
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) January 10, 2018
As for the Redskins, they will have an opportunity to possibly add to their conditioning staff. It’s a staff that has come under fire from fans as the 2017 season was marred with injuries. The Redskins had 18 players placed on injured reserve throughout the season. Five of who were running backs.
Although QB Kirk Cousins threw for over 4,000 yards for the third straight season, this season’s pile was more difficult as Washington lost its top two receiving targets, TE Jordan Reed and WR Terrelle Pryor to season-ending injuries. The Redskins also had 36 different offensive line combinations.
Of course, blame for Washington’s injury woes cannot be placed entirely on the conditioning staff. However, that has not stopped fans from pointing fingers at them and more specifically, Deuce in large due to his relation to Jay Gruden. He is now off to the Bay Area next season to join his father.
