Looking back, it might have been the biggest mistake Mark Davis made a year ago. Talking Jon Gruden into keeping a general manager he didn’t want seemed like a fine idea at the time, but there’s no question the split came a year too late.
Reggie McKenzie deserved credit for fixing the Raiders salary cap chaos and drafting a couple of the league’s brightest stars, but it wasn’t fair to him or Gruden to throw away a year in disconnect. Both deserved better.
But NFL insider Jay Glazer believes the Raiders are finally organized with Mike Mayock now settled in as general manager.
“I think the Raiders have a grown up in the building,” Glazer wrote for The Athletic. “Oakland is doing business in a totally different way now. Last year, no one was on the same page, and every time a team tried to call to do business, they would hear one thing from the front office, another thing from Jon Gruden, and it was often difficult to get straight answers that lined up. As a result, it was hard to get anything done. With Mayock onboard, there’s now congruence. Teams can call Oakland and get things done more smoothly because there’s a better line of communication between the head coach and the GM.”
For all the criticism the Raiders took for trading Khalil Mack, the worst value they actually got via trade was Martavis Bryant (in the final year of his deal) in exchange for a third-round pick. For comparisons sake, the Gruden-Mayock combo gave up only a little more for Antonio Brown (a fifth-round pick) than what the McKenzie-Gruden tandem gave up for Bryant the year before.
The other takeaway from the last 15 months is that Gruden badly needed help in the personnel department. Not only does Gruden need a general manager he trusts, but he also needs a strong personality in the building to keep him from doing whatever he wants – something McKenzie didn’t come close to pulling off a year ago.
twitter: @raidersbeat
U have got 2 b kidding with your statement. If they were not on same page last year it is directly due 2 fact that Mckenzie was GM who prior 2 Gruden was allowed (as most GM’s traditional do) 2 make decisions. However Davis being the retard he is paid some guy out of coaching for 10 years who never accomplished anything really a hundred mill contract giving him complete control of team. Clearly anyone in Mckenzies position would have trouble with that.
Gruden loves Mayock because Mayock came in understanding and accepting that Gruden runs the show and even confirmed that. Gruden did nothing but lie 2 everyone last season. His horrible decisions and that of Bryant as Gruden traded for him then cut him then brought him back knowing that good probability he would be suspended indefinitely so basically Gruden retardedly wasted a third rd pick plain n simple.
N if you believe Raiders r now operating smoothly by making a lineman who has done nothing remarkable n who still gave up 3.5 sacks in system specifically designed 2 limit sacks the highest paid lineman n agreeing on some other suspect n high contracts then u like the Raiders r smoking some crack.
Gruden can never recover from horrible handling of Mack who should still b a raider even if there is some success this year or in future. N agreeing 2 huge contracts as they have only proves that as Mack is a sure 1st ballot hall of fame entry but lineman Brown will never enter hall of fame unless he is a visitor site seeing.
The Raiders are good to go buddy
Grammar is obviously not your strong suit. Instead of replying and then hitting send, perhaps read what is written aloud, make sure it sounds intelligent, and then people will take your view a little more seriously.
The Raiders should have left Gruden (100 Million Dollar Man) where he was. He started by hurting the special teams by letting the place kicker and punter go. Would not PAY Kahlil Mack, the defensive player of the year previous year. Then he traded Mack to Chicago and they made the playoffs. Then if that was not good enough he sent Cooper to the Cowboys later in the season and they made the playoffs. We would not be having to make the moves we are making now. It’s a good chance we would have made the playoffs. It’s time for the Silver and Black to get baxk to their winning ways. In the words of Al Davis, “JUST WIN BABY”. NUFF SAID
Grammar is obviously not your strong suit. Instead of replying and then hitting send, perhaps read what is written aloud, make sure it sounds intelligent, and then people will take your view a little more seriously.