Oakland Raiders Show Their Commitment To Excellence Is Alive And Well

The Oakland Raiders, for years, were a model of instability and dysfunction, but under the leadership of GM Reggie McKenzie, the team has begun to flourish – and the organization has done right by him.

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Al Davis, Oakland Raiders owner and legend, made an awful mess of the franchise before before his passing. So desperate for one last shot at Super Bowl glory, Davis chased every big name free agent out there, throwing lavish contracts at them as incentive. Unfortunately, most of the big names he acquired were already on the downside of their careers and had little to nothing left in their tanks. And the franchise floundered.

When Davis passed in 2011, his beloved Raiders were mired in a playoff-less streak nearing a decade and the prospects for a revival were bleak. Free agents wouldn’t come to Oakland, competent coaches ran from the team like vampires run from sunlight, and the organization was saddled with bloated, unwieldy contracts for players who – to put it kindly – didn’t come close to earning a fraction of what they were paid.

But things began to change in January 2012 when Mark Davis, son of the team’s legendary owner, hired GM Reggie McKenzie – himself a former Raider and a longtime executive in the Packers organization.

At a time when the Raiders couldn’t get anybody with a shred of talent or competency – coaching or players – to sign on the dotted line, McKenzie waded into the turbulent waters and took control. With no money and his initial draft pick cupboards essentially bare, McKenzie started the laborious, oftentimes painful, process of rebuilding this once proud franchise.

His tenure has been filled with moves that have been unpopular with fans – the firing of Hue Jackson, the hiring of Dennis Allen, letting popular players like Jared Veldheer and LaMarr Houston walk. But through it all, despite all of the slings and arrows thrown his way, McKenzie has stayed true to his vision for the franchise.

And really – is there anybody out there who is still bitter that he let Houston, in particular, walk? We know you’re out there — we read comment sections. So, if you are, let’s lay out a little fact that might soothe your frayed nerves, shall we?

Since leaving Oakland to join Chicago on a very hefty free agent deal, Houston has amassed a whopping total of 53 tackles, nine sacks, and isn’t even a regular starter on that Chicago defense.

Not exactly the sort of production one would want to see in a high priced free agent, is it?

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Let’s put this another way – had McKenzie given Houston the lavish five year, $35 million dollar deal Chicago did – and then got this lack of production out of him – he would be getting absolutely crucified by those same people blistering him for letting him walk in the first place.

So, for some folks out there – quite obviously – McKenzie is damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t.

Luckily for fans and the organization, the younger Davis has shown a patience and dedication to McKenzie’s vision that unfortunately, many don’t share. McKenzie has brought order and stability out of the chaos the elder Davis left the franchise in when he passed. And he’s also brought not just vision, but a blueprint to return this once great franchise back to prominence again.

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And now, with some of the brightest young stars in the league in Derek Carr, Khalil Mack, and Amari Cooper, as well as a rock solid foundation of veterans like Michael Crabtree, Kelechi Osemele, Bruce Irvin, and Sean Smith, the Raiders are just about ready for prime time once more.

Leading the Raiders out of the darkness and salary cap hell they’d been mired in has been a thankless and tedious job. But McKenzie has done it with grace and equanimity.

And showing respect for the tremendous job he’s done, the younger Davis recently rewarded McKenzie with a well deserved four year extension.

"“The results and the job that he’s done show that he deserves it… Reggie has put together a hell of a staff in player personnel, done a great job on the cap where now we can build a team… I didn’t want him to become a free agent. It was time to honor him.”"

Make no mistake, not everything McKenzie has touched has turned to gold. He’s had plenty of missteps and miscues. But like everybody who is great at something – or has the potential to be great – he’s absorbed information, adapted, changed course when needed, and has grown within his role. He’s shown a flexibility while still staying true to his vision.

The early years have been frustrating for fans and people who cannot see that vision, there is no doubt. An overall record of 18-46 on his watch have some screaming for his head. But looking at that record as a black and white statistic is folly. It’s shortsighted. It’s like looking at a house that’s only half built and declaring it to be a ruin.

The Raiders took a big step forward in 2015 — though some argue that a 7-9 record proves otherwise. What those people who argue that point fail to see is that Oakland is a young team that is still learning and growing. Six of their nine losses were by a touchdown or less – one of the hallmarks of a young team learning to win.

This team needs consistency and stability to succeed – things that can only be gained when the organization is not in a state of constant upheaval. By extending McKenzie, Davis has ensured that the Raiders will be a stable organization, rather than the team full of the chaos and dysfunction that marked the last decade of the elder Davis’ tenure.

And bringing that order and stability is a man with a vision and a blueprint for success whose extension is well deserved and definitely well earned.

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McKenzie has helped make Oakland an attractive landing spot for top flight talent once again. The Raiders are once again relevant and are poised for success – have shown that this team is once again, Committed to Excellence – and the man behind the curtain, Reggie McKenzie, is a major reason for that.

Rome, as they say, was not built in a day. Neither are great teams. It takes time, patience, and perseverance. It takes a willingness to ride out the rough seas in order to find the calm waters beyond. McKenzie has done just that — and Mark Davis has rightfully rewarded him for it.