Raiders’ Owner Says “Reconstruction Failed.” Did It?

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NFL

Oakland Raiders’ Owner, Mark Davis, Says “Reconstruction Failed,” Tells Fans to Put Blame on Him

Mark Davis has been doing some serious reflection as of late. Davis’ 1-8 Oakland Raiders are on track to have their worst season since 1962. In an interview with ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez, Davis told fans, “the buck stops with me.”

Davis later expanded upon his opening remark: “Where this team is right now is my fault. We haven’t been able to build a 22-man roster. We haven’t been able to give this team a chance to win because the reconstruction failed.” What is the reconstruction? Why was it needed? How do we know it failed?

To answer the aforementioned questions, it’s imperative to go back through the annals of Raiders’ history. From decade-long dominance to over a dozen years without a Conference championship appearance, it has been a rocky road for Oakland at times.

The Al Davis Raiders

The Oakland Raiders under Mark Davis’ father, the late Al Davis, had its share of both trophies and tribulations. From 2000 to 2012, they had only three winning seasons (2000, 2001, and 2002). With the exception of a Conference Championship appearance in 1990, the 90’s were much of the same.

The late 1970’s and early 1980’s became known as the golden age for the silver and black. From 1967 to 1985, the Raiders only missed the playoffs four times. In that era, they won 12 division championships and appeared in four Super Bowls, winning three of them. Their head coach through much of that period, of course, was Hall of Fame coach, John Madden.

The Raider Reputation

The Raiders under Al Davis had a knack for grabbing headlines. Davis, who started his NFL career as a head coach in Baltimore, went on to coach the Raiders before becoming American Football League commissioner in 1996. After easing tensions in the league and eventually seeing his AFL merge with the NFL, Davis then took a seat in the front office as general manager of the Raiders. Davis, however, had his own troubles with the league, himself. From 1982-1994, the Raiders became the Los Angeles Raiders in the midst of heated disputes with the NFL.

During his tenure, Davis took several stands in the name of social justice and civil rights. He refused to let the Raiders play in any city where black and white players would be forced to sleep in separate hotels, and became the first GM to hire a black head coach and the second GM to hire a Latino head coach. The franchise also has a long history of flashy and noteworthy players and coaches; from Madden to Jon Gruden, Howie Long, and Randy Moss to name a few.

The Dallas Cowboys may have been America’s team by day, but by night it was all about the Men in Black. The Raiders were America’s favorite bad boys, to either hate or love. Their success, flamboyance, bawdiness, and rough reputation created a cult following both in and outside of the Bay Area.

Face the Nation, Raider Nation

After Al Davis’ passing in 2011, Mark Davis took the reigns of the organization. Mark was inheriting, for all intents and purposes, a mess. Since becoming the principal owner and managing partner of the Raiders, Oakland has had just one winning season. In 2016 under head coach Jack Del Rio, the Raiders went 12-4 — only to lose the NFC Wild Card game. There’s been a good deal of staff turnover as well. Three head coaches have commanded the sideline since Mark’s tenure began: Del Rio, Tony Sparano, and Dennis Allen.

Whispers within the organization and the sports world grew louder, as did the screams from the Raider Nation fanbase. The foundering and flunking of the previous three decades became a pressure cooker for the organization. The glory of the 70’s and 80’s was long gone — and some wondered if the younger Davis could navigate the franchise out of turbulent waters like his father had. Mark Davis needed a plan.

Mark’s Plan: Reconstruction

What?

Mark Davis and general manager Reggie McKenzie implemented a reconstruction plan to both rebuild the team and provide a sustainable model for the future. Their plan was based on the belief that, if the Raiders’ could pick up five key players a year – three in the draft and two in free agency – they would build a team strong enough for short-term success and long-term dominance.

The acquisitions of quarterback Derek Carr, linebacker Khalil Mack, and wide receiver Amari Cooper were all part of this reconstruction plan.

Why?

The idea behind this belief was that the Raiders, at the time, had an unsalvageable roster. Starting fresh, free of large and binding contracts, would be the best way to go. A group of young talented players led by the right coach could restore a winning culture. The Philadelphia 76’ers under Sam Hinkie, notably, adopted a much more extreme version of this model.

After years of subpar finishes for Oakland, Mark and his front office felt they needed to do something drastic. Most teams are, generally, one or two key players away from making a run in the playoffs. In 2011, the Raiders finished 8-8 under head coach Hue Jackson. They ranked 16th in the league in points scored per game and 29th in the league in points allowed per game. Oakland was a roster away at the time.

When?

After Al Davis’ death on October 8th of 2011, Hue Jackson took over all GM duties — while Mark became the de facto principal owner. In 2012, Hue Jackson was fired as head coach and general manager. Reggie McKenzie was brought on as GM, with Dennis Allen replacing Jackson as head coach. That year under Allen, Oakland managed a 4-12 record.

Almost immediately upon McKenzie’s hiring, the two men formulated their plan of reconstruction. The process, however, was not fully implemented until 2014, due to fallout from the Carson Palmer trade. Some would speculate that, during those early years, Oakland purposely lost or underperformed to garner top draft picks. Others would cite those as growing pains for a newly budding team. Now, six years after implementation, the Raiders have only one winning season to show for it.

How?

Oakland garnered several high draft picks in recent years, primarily due to consistently poor performance. This meant their chances of acquiring three valuable players in the draft was very attainable. Scouring the free agency market has led to signings like running back Marshawn Lynch, despite not meeting their goal of two key free agents a year.

Has it Worked?

Being in a position to sign players is just one part of the battle. The real struggle is signing the right players. Quarterback Derek Carr hasn’t met expectations since his 2016 season — and some in the organization wonder if he can be the nucleus of their “dream team.” Then, there is the Khalil Mack situation. Davis remains adamant that losing Mack in contract negotiations was not part of the reconstruction plan. From it, in fact.

“Jon wanted him badly … Reggie wanted him badly. And I wanted him badly, too. But, if in fact, we were going to give the type of money that we were going to give to him … how were we going to go ahead and build this football team, with all the holes that we had?” Even with the loss of Mack, Davis and the Raiders received first-round picks in 2019 and 2020, a third-round pick in 2020 and a sixth-round pick in 2019 from the Chicago Bears. The picks can be used to meet their goal of acquiring five key players a year.

Flaws

The flaws in Oakland’s reconstruction plan are multi-faceted, but not terminal. The first problem is the critical importance of the success in the draft. McKenzie fought through his rookie years of drafting and has become somewhat of a seasoned pro. Still, Oakland has a lot of positions they need to fill — and navigating through hundreds of scouting reports in deep draft classes is not a perfect science.

The second problem could be called “the Khalil Mack problem”. If an organization is acquiring three key draft picks a year, the front office is destined for contract negotiation hell in three-or-four years’ time. Additionally, there may not be money to go around for currently signed players, players on rookie contacts intended to be re-signed, and free agents available in the market. Khalil Mack wanted more money than the Raiders could pay him under their scheme. Plain and simple. While they were able to score some draft picks, there’s not a person in Oakland who doesn’t wish Mack was still a Raider.

Raiders, Inc.

Al Davis created a brand that was a football team — or, a team that was a brand. Some could argue that either way. Recently, the Raiders’ brand has fallen along with their on-field performances. The Raiders are making $76 million less in revenue than the league average. The reconstruction plan might be more about wins and losses and take effect outside of draft rooms.

The recent hiring of Jon Gruden for 10 years and $100 million turned many heads. It’s a great storyline, but is it strategic? Not only do the Raiders have another new head coach, but will soon have yet another new home. Mark Davis was granted his wish in a 31-1 vote by league ownership; the Oakland Raiders will become the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020, leaving their Oakland-Alameda Coliseum behind.

Could the hiring of their coach and relocation of their team be a reconstruction of the brand, rather than the team?

It would be intellectually cheap to say that it is either or. Ultimately, these decisions were made with both thoughts in mind. Davis is not impartial to winning by any means. He’s said himself: “I feel so bad for the fans because they want to win. And believe me, there’s nothing more I want than to win … We don’t have the tools right now to do it and it’s nobody’s fault but our own and when it comes down to it, it’s my fault.”

Looking Ahead

Mark Davis believes a few things. That Derek Carr is struggling, but has the potential to grow into a dependable quarterback. The talent on the roster currently is not enough to bring Oakland or Las Vegas any wins. Above all, though, Mark Davis believes that Jon Gruden holds the keys to future success.

Davis told ESPN, “I understood it was going to be a lot of work, but Jon has a 10-year contract… I know how hard Jon Gruden works. I know how much he wants to win. And how much days like today are killing him… Having Jon Gruden here was the endgame for me. Jon’s going to be the stability here. Jon’s going nowhere. That’s just the way it is.”

While the reconstruction plan seems to have failed over its first six years, the future ahead may hold some promise. The Raiders have stockpiled an impressive amount of draft picks over the past year.

If Gruden is as good as Davis believes him to be – and McKenzie selects wisely in upcoming drafts – Oakland could very well become an AFC powerhouse. The cancerous culture that seems to pervade the locker room poses a problem that Gruden, Davis, and veteran players will need to address. However, if they can get the players on board with their vision, Raider Nation may finally have something to cheer about.

Frustration and tension continue to rise and uncertainty about the future still lingers, including where the Raiders will play next year. When it comes to the future of reconstruction, everything is speculation. If Mark Davis, as his father did, has his finger on the pulse of the franchise, he may well bring about the next golden decade. All that’s left for Raider Nation is to hope Mark Davis isn’t placing blind bets on the World’s Team.

Photo Credit: bigtell via Flickr

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