by Josh Dubo
The Las Vegas Raiders have fired general manager Mike Mayock after three seasons and will begin their search for a coach and GM after their second playoff berth in the past 19 seasons.
The Raiders announced the move to get rid of Mayock on Monday, two days after losing their wild-card playoff game to Cincinnati 26-19.
“We thank Mike for his contribution over the past three years to helping build the foundation for the future of the franchise,” the team said in a statement.
According to a person familiar with the request, the Raiders have already requested the job of general manager to interview Patriots director of player personnel Dave Ziegler as well as Patriots assistant Jerrod Mayo for head coach. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team did not make the requests public.
Coach John Gruden brought in Mayock to replace Reggie Mackenzie after the 2018 season, but the Raiders had spotty results in the draft and free agency in recent years.
Gruden resigned in October following publication of his old offensive email, and now Maycock is also out, potentially giving owner Mark Davis a clean slate.
Interim coach Rich Bisaccia led the Raiders (10–8) to the playoffs with four straight wins to end the regular season, but the forward position remains unknown. He has met with Davis and the Raiders must do a thorough search before deciding on a new coach to satisfy the Rooney Rule.
Maycock joined the Raiders after a long stint at the NFL Network as a draft analyst. While Gruden made final decisions on all personnel matters, Mayock held the position of general manager and had input on the draft in which the Raiders failed to hit several first-round picks during his tenure.
The Raiders had made three first-round picks in their first draft, after keeping away Khaleel Mack and Amari Cooper. Those selections failed to convert the franchise, this season as No. 4 Clein Farrell became a reserve overall, No. 24 pick Josh Jacobs became a solid running back and No. 27 Johnathan Abrams was selected as a liability in safety. .
The team hit on two subsequent round picks, with fourth-round edge Max Crosby emerging as a star this year when he passed second-team All-Pro and fifth-round slot receiver Hunter Renfro. There were 103 catches for 1,038. Yardstick.
But the end of the 2020 draft could be doomed to Mayock. The team has already cut both first-round picks, receiver Henry Rugs III being released after a felony charge in a fatal DUI accident that killed a 23-year-old woman, and cornerback Damon Arnett. was released after threatening someone online.
Two of the team’s third-round picks – Lynn Bowden Jr. and Tanner Music – never played a snap and none of the picks made a big impact.
The Raiders once again drafted a player in the unanimous first round in 2021, with Alex Leatherwood ranked 17th overall. He slid quickly on the tackle and then went to guard, where he also struggled with penalties and pass protection.
Free agency hasn’t been much better, with players like Trent Brown, Lamarcus Joyner, Tyrell Williams and Corey Littleton failing to achieve good results with big contracts.
Now it will be up to a new general manager to make important decisions on quarterback Derek Carr’s future and how to upgrade the roster to make the Raiders perennial playoff contenders.
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AP Pro Football writer Rob Maddi contributed to this report
