Jon Gruden hopes he¡¯s a candidate to return for a second stint as coach of the Oakland Raiders and believes a final decision will be made next week.

Gruden made his most specific comments about the opening in Oakland in an interview Tuesday with the Bay Area News Group . The Raiders fired coach Jack Del Rio on Sunday following a disappointing six-win season

¡±My understanding is they¡¯re interviewing candidates this week and they¡¯re going to let everybody know sometime early next week or whenever they make their decision Youth J'Mon Moore Jersey ,¡± Gruden told the paper.

When asked specifically if he was a candidate, Gruden replied: ¡±Well, I think I am being considered, yes. I hope I¡¯m a candidate.¡±

The Raiders are not commenting on the search beyond a statement issued Sunday night from owner Mark Davis thanking Del Rio for his tenure.

Gruden spent four seasons as coach in Oakland from 1998-2001. After leading the Raiders to 8-8 records his first two years, Gruden helped the team reach the AFC title game following the 2000 season and got Oakland back into the playoffs the following season.

Gruden¡¯s tenure ended shortly after the ¡±Tuck Rule¡± loss to the New England Patriots when he was traded the following month to Tampa Bay for two first-round draft picks, two second-rounders and $8 million.

Gruden beat the Raiders in the Super Bowl in his first season with the Buccaneers but didn¡¯t win another playoff game for Tampa Bay in his final six seasons. He has a 95-81 career record.

Gruden has spent the past nine seasons working as an announcer for ESPN and is scheduled to work the playoff game Saturday in Kansas City between the Chiefs and Tennessee Titans. ESPN first reported the likelihood of Gruden returning to Oakland on the eve of the season finale that Oakland lost.

Del Rio was fired following the 30-10 defeat to the Chargers, leading to the current search.

The Raiders will be required to comply with the ¡±Rooney Rule¡± and interview at least one minority candidate or otherwise face discipline from the NFL.

John Wooten, the head of the Fritz Pollard Alliance which monitors the NFL¡¯s minority hiring, said he is confident the Raiders will follow the rules and doesn¡¯t consider the process a sham despite reports Gruden would get the job before it even opened.

Wooten pointed to the Raiders¡¯ history under late owner Al Davis and his son, Mark, in hiring minority candidates, from making Art Shell the first African-American head coach in modern NFL history in 1989 and then bringing him back for a second stint in 2006.

Tom Flores was the first Hispanic coach to win a Super Bowl and the team also hired Hue Jackson as coach in 2011 and currently employs Reggie McKenzie as general manager.

¡±I trust the integrity of Mark Davis and Reggie and what they have done,¡± Pollard said. ¡±I trust they will follow the rule and I believe that.¡±

¡ª

The stunning turnaround by the Jacksonville Jaguars shows best in the NFL standings ¨C and the All-Pro Team.

Rarely do the Jags have members of the elite All-Pro squad. For 2017, they have two: edge rusher Calais Campbell and cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

¡±It¡¯s huge,¡± Campbell said. ¡±That¡¯s a big testament to the work we put in. We don¡¯t just show up and perform. We grind day in and day out to be the best. This defense is very special, so I¡¯m glad to see us get some accolades for our hard work.¡±

Added Ramsey of The Associated Press All-Pro Team announced Friday:

¡±I can go on and on about corners I respect and I think are really good in the league. But I think (the voters) realize that I cover No. 1s every week, that I¡¯m still putting up high numbers, still playing very well in my role and doing what I have to do.¡±

What Campbell and Ramsey did was help the Jaguars rank first in pass defense and second overall, earning their first playoff berth since the 2007 season.

One player, Antonio Brown Youth DJ Chark Jersey , was the only unanimous choice for All-Pro. The brilliant wide receiver of the Pittsburgh Steelers drew all 50 ballots from a nationwide panel of media members who regularly cover the league. Brown missed the last two-plus games with an ankle injury.

He was among four players to make a fourth All-Pro squad, joining New England tight end Rob Gronkowski, Carolina linebacker Luke Kuechly and Los Angeles Rams punter Johnny Hekker.

The repeaters from 2016 were Brown; Rams interior defensive lineman Aaron Donald, who got 49 votes, and punter Hekker; and Seattle linebacker Bobby Wagner.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady made his third All-Pro team.

In their own turnaround season, the Rams led the way with six All-Pros, including two more specialists: kicker Greg Zuerlein and kick returner Pharoh Cooper. Running back Todd Gurley and left tackle Andrew Whitworth were honored.

¡±Dang, that¡¯s crazy. It means a lot, honestly,¡± said Gurley, who likely would have led the league in rushing had he played in LA¡¯s finale. ¡±It¡¯s a blessing. I¡¯ve got so much respect for everybody in this league, and to be in this position just means so much to me.

¡±I¡¯ve been following people around the NFL my whole life, and to be considered as an All-Pro, man, God is good, honestly. Honestly.¡±

Three Steelers joined Brown on the roster: Le¡¯Veon Bell as the flex, interior defensive lineman Cam Heyward, and right guard David DeCastro. No other team had more than two All-Pros, with the stronger NFC getting 18 players and the AFC 10.

Two rookies made it: punt returner Jamal Agnew of Detroit and special teamer Budda Baker of Arizona.

Also chosen: Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson and center Jason Kelce; Panthers left guard Andrew Norwell; Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins; Saints edge rusher Cameron Jordan; Cardinals linebacker Chandler Jones; Vikings cornerback Xavier Rhodes and safety Harrison Smith; Detroit defensive back Darius Slay; and Titans safety Kevin Byard.

First-timers made an impression on both sides of the ball, with 15 on the team: Byard Ryan Johansen Jersey , Slay, Rhodes, Jones, Jordan, Ramsey, Campbell, Hopkins, Norwell, Kelce, Johnson, Agnew, Baker, Gurley, and Cooper.

Wagner is on his third All-Pro squad.

¡±When you get voted for these types of awards,¡± he said, ¡±it shows you all the work you do in the offseason, the grinding, all the things you push through ¡­ when you get this, when people say this is not AFC, NFC Scott Hartnell Jersey , this is the league, this is who we deem the best at their position in the league, that says a lot. And you see the guys before you, the things they were able to accomplish, you¡¯ve seen those things and you want those things. It¡¯s part of that mindset of wanting to be great and understanding what comes along with that, and wanting that kind of acknowledgment.¡±

While making All-Pro has become almost natural for Wagner, Jordan finally got there in his seventh pro season.

¡±I¡¯m definitely trying to push myself to be better than I was the year previous,¡± he said. ¡±I think I had a really good year last year. Of course, sack numbers won¡¯t show that, but in terms of playing the run, in terms of getting after the passer I thought last year was one of my better years (7 1-2 sacks, 17 tackles for loss). So what I wanted to do this year is, of course, push myself to be better than last. That probably only poses the problem of where I go next year. Now I¡¯ve got to shoot for more than what I did this year.¡±

¡ª

AP Sports Writers Mark Long, Tim Booth, Brett Martel and Greg Beacham contributed to this report.

¡ª