Reggie McKenzie has been far from perfect. Any general manager responsible for bringing both Matt Flynn and Matt Schaub in to play quarterback deserves scrutiny.
However, McKenzie deserves more time on the job in Oakland. Though team owner Mark Davis has been reportedly interested in overhauling the front office while also looking for a new head coach, he should take a step back, contemplate the work McKenzie has done the past year and give RM one more year as general manager.
Although the Raiders have gone 4-12, 4-12 and 3-13 the past three seasons with McKenzie guiding the ship, there are several reasons McKenzie should stay:
Reason No. 1 – The 2014 draft class. A franchise desperate for playmakers got a bundle in McKenzie’s third draft. Quarterback Derek Carr, linebacker Khalil Mack, guard Gabe Jackson, defensive tackle Justin Ellis and cornerbacks Keith McGill and TJ Carrie all played big roles in their rookie seasons. Carr appears to be the franchise QB the team has been seeking for years. Mack is a defensive player the franchise can build around. McKenzie wisely avoided gambling with his top pick (Johnny Manziel? Teddy Bridgewater?) and took Mack, which then allowed him to take a QB he liked (Carr) in the second round. It was a smart move.
Reason No. 2 – The 2013 draft class, which looked so bad a year ago, appears much brighter today. Cornerback DJ Hayden, once healthy, finally showed what he could do. When tackle Menelik Watson got some playing time, he won a starting job. Outside linebacker Sio Moore has become a fiery tackling machine. And running back Latavius Murray – long buried on the bench – is now the team’s No. 1 back after getting his opportunity to prove himself. So, over the past two drafts, McKenzie has shown an eye for bringing in solid talent.
Reason No. 3 – McKenzie was presented with a Herculean task when he was brought in. The roster was littered with big-name but overpriced talent. In a painful process that was hurtful in the short term, he had to cut salaries and get the salary cap back under control. He did that. And, even in a flurry of free-agent signings last offseason, McKenzie was careful with the contracts he gave out. Most of those older free-agent players can be ejected this offseason without much penalty. So, before next season, McKenzie can again bring in talent without breaking the bank.
Reason No. 4 – The Raiders roster is now very different. There’s been a culture change. The faces of this team are now Carr and Mack, two quiet, hard-working leaders. Veterans such as Justin Tuck and Charles Woodson have been teachers as well as players. From the outside, at least, most of the players on this roster now appear to be more team-focused than I-focused.
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McKenzie hasn’t been without fault. He brought in Dennis Allen as head coach, which didn’t work out. It was easy to see that interim head coach Tony Sparano brought much more fire and leadership to the team than Allen.
But McKenzie has more pluses than minuses, and it would be interesting to see him get another shot at the draft while holding the No. 4 overall selection.
In recent days, it’s been reported that Davis is making McKenzie a part of the search for a new head coach. That seems smart. What also seems smart is keeping McKenzie, rather than kicking him out the door and starting from scratch.
