Oakland Raiders Rumors: Reggie McKenzie out after 2018 season?

The Oakland Raiders rebuild may also affect the front office. Rumors are swirling pertaining to general manager Reggie McKenzie’s standing with the team.

During the 2018 campaign, we witnessed an Oakland Raiders roster demolition. It’s clear head coach Jon Gruden didn’t think much of general manager Reggie McKenzie‘s draft picks.

The front office executive will likely take an exit along with several of his draftees.

According to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, the Raiders will search for a new general manager and make changes to the front office personnel:

"General manager Reggie McKenzie will not return, which is not a surprise and has long been assumed in NFL circles, and several other members of the scouting and football operations staff will be changing as well. Gruden has total control over the organization, and the Raiders are in the early stages of a deep rebuild."

As Gruden overlooks the operation, it’s no surprise that his vision became paramount once he signed a 10-year, $100 million contract to coach the Silver and Black. He immediately flipped the roster upon his return, waiving several notable, recent draft picks during the offseason, including Mario Edwards Jr. (second round of 2015), Clive Walford (third round of 2015), Jihad Ward (second round of 2016) and Obi Melifonwu (second round of 2017).

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Furthermore, trading edge-rusher Khalil Mack and wideout Amari Cooper completely bulldozed what McKenzie built for better or worse. Quarterback Derek Carr still remains as the last piece of his legacy as an executive.

With a spotty draft record outside of the 2014 group and a 38-70 record on his watch, McKenzie is an easy target in an organizational purge. It’s no surprise Gruden wanted to steer the team in a different direction without the front office executive’s input.

As principal owner and general manager, Al Davis held control of the roster; his passing in October 2011 created a major void in the decision-making process. McKenzie took over as general manager January 2012.

Initially, McKenzie made a poor head-coaching hire, bringing in Dennis Allen. Though behind the scenes, he cleaned up the Raiders’ roster payroll loaded with bloated contracts and eventually traded 33-year old quarterback Carson Palmer amid a rebuild of his own.

After four non-winning seasons, McKenzie earned the 2016 Executive of the Year honor with a 12-4 team seemingly on the upswing, but the wheels popped off again during the 2017 campaign under head coach Jack Del Rio. Oakland finished 6-10 and current owner Mark Davis finally convinced Gruden to accept the head-coaching position after courting him for six years.

Now, the all-too-familiar rebuild cycle starts again. Like McKenzie had done in 2012, Gruden’s housecleaning will likely continue into the 2019 offseason. When the previous regime fails to sustain a level of excellence, new hires step in and mark the beginning of their tenure with changes.

As the head of the Raiders’ newest rebuild, Gruden has the final say on roster moves, but a one-man operation has its faults. It’ll take multiple bright minds to put this organization back on the right track. He’ll need to hire someone with respectable football knowledge, who’s going to have some type of influence on decisions—checks and balances.

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If Gruden hires someone who doesn’t push back and says “yes” all the time, why hire anyone at all? Secondly, there’s a healthy balance when two football lifers question each other’s ideas.

In a state of a perpetual rebuild since their 2003 Super Bowl appearance, the Raiders have a projected $78.6 million in cap space next year, per Spotrac, and 10 2019 draft picks to raise themselves out of the NFL basement and into contention in near future. Above all, Gruden must choose his front office personnel wisely, individuals who should have a hand in sculpting the roster.

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