Oakland Raiders: Mike Mayock hire is baffling

The Oakland Raiders are hiring NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock as their general manager and the move is somewhat baffling considering his lack of  experience

Last offseason, the Oakland Raiders made headlines when they hired Jon Gruden who had spent the past 10 seasons calling Monday Night Football games for ESPN. Now, they add another member to their all-broadcast board of decision makers as Mike Mayock will be given a shot as their general manager.

It’s a surprising move, to say the least, as Mayock doesn’t have any actual experience working in an NFL front office. He does have a lot of experience watching college players though as he started his broadcast career covering the NCAA as an analyst for ABC Sports in 2004.

He’s also spent time as the color commentator for Notre Dame as well as part of the Thursday Night Football crew. Where Mayock really got his reputation though was in his work scouting incoming collegiate players. He was also a fixture on NFL Network’s draft coverage and was a well-respected voice in that arena.

Even with his ability to call games and give instant reactions to draft picks, it seems like a stretch to now give him the kind of control that comes with being a general manager. Being able to put together a draft board and say whether a player fits with a team is one thing, but to manage a roster of 53 players — plus a scouting team — is another.

As a GM, Mayock will need to work more with the salary cap, scout opposing teams, scour the waiver wires and make the tough decisions on players due to the salary cap.

With that being said, we have yet to see how the makeup will be in Oakland, and it could be set up to favor Mayock. Gruden seems to have more control over the roster than the general manager would, so perhaps Mayock will serve more as a glorified scout while Gruden handles more of the roster moves.

It’s worth keeping an eye on, but at first glance, this move seems baffling.