Oakland Raiders: Should Mark Davis Sell The Franchise?

The greatest failure of legendary Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis’ career, was his inability to secure a new stadium for the Silver and Black. As it happens, the same may apply to his son and current owner Mark Davis. For Raider Nation, the Davis family will always hold a revered place in our hearts–and for that reason– Mark Davis was accepted with open arms.

Mark Davis, unlike his father, is not blessed with the football acumen to make football decisions. For that reason, his recent comments on the future of the coaching staff and the front office is particularly disturbing. Given the mess the front office inherited, general manager Reggie McKenzie has done a remarkable job. The last two years purged all the dead money off the bill and now salaries have caught up with the cap space. Frankly, the Raiders just paid the Piper and are finally free.

With the huge salary cap space, the team has to use free agency short term while building through the draft long term. When the owner comes out and drops innuendos on the future of the coaching staff and front office, it creates unnecessary dysfunction. Remember the coaching staff would get fired and they would move on, fans are forever. For that reason we want them to use the Cap wisely so the long term viability of a winning team is maintained. If you back them into a corner and force them to make bad signings, they may save their jobs this year, but the proceeding years may be compromised.

Mark Davis may be the owner of the franchise, but he needs to realize that he hasn’t earned his position in the eyes of the fans as his father did. Davis inherited the team and that doesn’t give him the leeway to make rash decisions. Raider Nation is very hungry for their first winning season since 2002, but that doesn’t mean the team has to go all out and waste the good situation we find ourselves in. Managed properly, the Raiders could theoretically have 10.1  percent in cap space into perpetuity. That could be in excess of $13M from this year forward.

The stadium issue dwarfs the talent deficiency of the squad. The talent issue could be fixed within the next two years, the stadium problem has no light at the end of the tunnel. Davis should throw all his time and resource into finding a new building for the franchise. The increased revenues from a new building should maintain the standing of the club going forward. A new building would also attract protective free agents and it creates a cycle that keeps on giving.

While Davis likes shooting across the bow to send a message, he needs to look in the mirror and realize he has failed thus far in his most important duty. Getting another one year lease in the O.co colliseum, kicks the can down the road another year. It means another year fans and players have to grace the decrepit stadium. Mark Davis do your job or get out. We need people who can get the job done. McKenzie has done his job, time for you to step up.

I will give Mark Davis a couple of years to figure out the stadium issue before fans start calling for his head. That should be his only goal right now. That’s within his control. Football decisions should be left to the professionals.