Packers’ Reggie McKenzie To Be Named Oakland Raiders GM

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McKenzie appears headed to Oakland to be the Raiders new GM.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Oakland Raiders are planning to hire Packers director of football operations Reggie McKenzie as their next general manager.

McKenzie has long been rumored as a leading candidate for the job after Raiders owner and GM Al Davis passed away this fall. The two sides had reportedly been in contact this week, as McKenzie received a high recommendation from former Packers GM Ron Wolf for the job. Wolf has been assisting the Raiders in the search for new GM, along with former Raiders coach John Madden and Ken Herock.

McKenzie has served 18 years in the Packers personnel department, including the last four in his current capacity. He joined the Packers in 1994 as a pro personnel assistant and was later promoted to director of personnel in 1997.

McKenzie took over for John Schneider in May of 2008 as director of football operations after Schneider left to become the Seattle Seahawks general manager.

A former linebacker, McKenzie was drafted in the 10th by the Wolf-run Raiders in 1985 and played four years in Oakland. After two years in Phoenix with the Cardinals and another in San Francisco, McKenzie was out of the NFL. In 1993, he joined Phillip Fulmer’s coaching staff at his former alma mater in Tennessee. A later year, he landed in Green Bay in his first front office job.

McKenzie will land at a job that currently lacks draft capital, as current Raiders coach Hue Jackson doled out a first-round pick in 2012 and a second-rounder in ’13 for quarterback Carson Palmer before the trading deadline in October. As it stands before compensatory picks, the Raiders’ first pick next April would come in the fifth round.

A potential replacement for McKenzie could be Elliot Wolf, Ron’s son and currently the Packers assistant director of player personnel. NFL.com reported earlier in the week that he may be a candidate to leave with McKenzie to Oakland. John Dorsey, the Packers director of college scouting, turned down an offer to interview for the Indianapolis Colts’ GM opening and could also be a candidate.

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Zach Kruse is a 23-year-old sports journalist with a passion for the Green Bay Packers. He currently lives in Wisconsin and is working on his journalism degree, while also covering prep sports for The Dunn Co. News.

You can read more of Zach's Packers articles on AllGreenBayPackers.com.

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19 thoughts on “Packers’ Reggie McKenzie To Be Named Oakland Raiders GM

  1. Ouch. I wonder who will take his place. Next guy up philosophy? Who would that be? Thank goodness TT has a feel for talent not just on the field.

    1. Geez Lucas, read much? Yes, the next man up philosophy applies here! I’ll let you read the article before I explain to you what it means. Suffice it to say the Packers will be just fine, although it would be a shame to lose Wolf.

      1. Schefter also thought Elliot would go with Reggie…hence my comment. If I were Reggie, I would get as much of the proven talent evaluators as I could. Even if Elliot takes his place, we’re still one guy down…even in a next guy up philosophy. That “replacement” would likely be the bottom of the evaluation ladder. Sorry I didn’t specify. I’ll make sure I don’t attempt commenting beyond midnight.

        1. Elliot Wolf sent out a tweet the the other night to the effect of “why do people think we all want to leave?” My guess is Wolf want’s to stay and climb the ladder at the best Organization in the League.

          1. Right Al! And, I would add, do you think that TT doesn’t have a detailed, a very detailed backup plan in place at all times? If you don’t, you have no idea about how TT manages from the lowest level up. Not to worry about his management team, there are replacements already planned for any openings.

  2. Good for him, bad for us. I guess that’s the price of being a good team. But my new motto is “next man up” (replaces “pad level”).

    1. why must it be either or?

      Incorporate both.

      Try “Next Pad Up” or “Man Level” instead.

  3. While it’s tough to watch the brain drain from the Packers front office, at least these guys aren’t going to the Queens or Chicago.

    Looks like the Packers aren’t just the QB factory of the NFL, but the GM factory too!

  4. This will certainly make the Raidaaahs a better team, but it will take some time. A Big CONGRATS to Reggie McKenzie, the man that found so many of those UDFA’s that make up a such a significant part of this team. Good Luck Reggie!

  5. I imagine the stupidity of Jackson and others will give Reggie a substantial period to implement his philosophy. There’s a lot of work to do in Oakland that is long-term. Short-term he is hannd-cuffed. I hope the volitile Oakland fans understand that and develop some patience.

    Glad to see that the Packers are admired both on and off the field.

  6. So, we’ve lost two front office guys in two years.

    While Dorsey passed on the Colts interview, it might be that he agreed to join McKenzie if he won the job. That could be three guys in two years.

    But then, Dorsey might just be one of those guys who thinks he has a great chance to be a part of something special in Green Bay- like a dynasty – and has decided he’s going to stay put and continue to help build and enjoy that ride.

  7. Wow, the Raiders did something smart. I didn’t think they had it in them. I feel bad for Reggie. I think the Raiders only have a 5th and a 6th rd pick in this years draft and are missing high picks in next years. The Raider fans are also used to free agent signings and may not be patient while Reggie builds the team through the draft.

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