The Raiders have not had a winning season since their Super Bowl appearance in 2003. The organization has gone through numerous coaches and quarterbacks as they look to find the right roster to get back to a commitment to excellence. Unfortunately, it’s taken awhile and with the passing of Al Davis, Reggie McKenzie was brought in to turn the franchise around and he has yet to deliver. With this year’s free agency being a bust, the draft and Raiders overall performance in 2015 will play a huge role in whether or not McKenzie returns next season.
McKenzie enters his fourth season as the Raiders general manager, with a new head coach in Jack Del Rio. In his time with the Raiders, there have been many obstacles, especially his first season, when it came to salary cap space and seeking a new head coach after firing Hue Jackson.
Now, there are no excuses. The past two offseasons, the Raiders have had plenty of money to splurge on free agents to bring in playmakers and get this team going. Last year, McKenzie signed some notable veterans past their prime and they didn’t pan out. This offseason, the silver and black had $60 million in cap space, yet were unable to sign any of the top free agents, and weren’t even in serious talks for them.
When it comes to the draft and player evaluation, McKenzie is known to be one of the best around the league, and that was evident in last year’s draft. Derek Carr, Khalil Mack, Justin Ellis, and Gabe Jackson have turned out to be solid picks for the Raiders and key players for building a foundation as this team continues a rebuilding process.
Looking ahead to this year’s draft, there is plenty of talent to choose from. Oakland needs a receiving core featuring a playmaker for Carr, and the Raiders are expected to take a wide receiver with the fourth overall pick.
His lack of player acquisition via free agency leads to a bigger emphasis on the draft. McKenzie builds teams through the draft with younger players developing on a team together, but veteran presence is always needed on a roster. When the owner of the team says he wants to make a splash in free agency and the front office doesn’t deliver, that’s concerning; especially with the Raiders having several holes in the roster to not only fill, but also improve on.
McKenzie’s job would be a tad safer had he been able to bring in a playmaker capable of creating momentum on the field, but the draft is also important, and it depends on how this team performs in the upcoming season.
Putting pressure for a playoff appearance is asking for too much and is setting the bar too high for this team. However, in order for McKenzie to keep his job, he needs to put together a roster capable of securing seven to nine wins this season. They went 3-13 last year and battled through coaching changes midseason as Dennis Allen was fired after a brutal Week 4 loss.
The fact that Allen didn’t work out as head coach, and only had eight wins during his tenure is also a hit on McKenzie because he’s the guy who brought him in. GM’s should be given a chance with two head coaches, and the expectations are high for Del Rio taking over and bringing in a fresh supporting staff to coach this team.
Bottom line is Reggie McKenzie has a lot of power in this organization. He’s responsible for bringing in players, improving this team, and providing the coaching staff with the types of players they need to succeed and put a decent number in the win column. Rebuilding or not, the Raiders can’t go another season with three or four wins under McKenzie. In order for him to keep his job, he has to put together a team and coaching staff that can deliver on game day. A seven to nine win season is what’s in order, especially considering the strength of schedule.
He hasn’t done made significant moves this offseason. Oakland has made some low-risk/high-reward moves, but some needs have not been filled on the roster yet. The draft is going to hold a lot of clout moving forward, but the biggest test is how the players he chooses perform on game day.