Raider shuffle
McKenzie out as GM in Oakland
The Oakland Raiders fired general manager Reggie McKenzie on Monday, less than two years after he was named the NFL’s executive of the year.
McKenzie was let go from the position he had held for almost seven seasons a day after Oakland beat Pittsburgh, 24-21, for its third win of the season. The Raiders announced the move in a brief statement thanking McKenzie for his time in Oakland and wishing him well.
McKenzie’s status was in doubt ever since coach Jon
Gruden was given a 10-year contract last January to take charge of the football operation for the Raiders. McKenzie’s influence had waned since then, with the Raiders cutting ties with several of the players he had acquired, most notably edge rusher Khalil
Mack and receiver Amari Cooper.
“I’m not going to sit up here today and talk about any disconnect,” Gruden said. “We were connected. We were very good friends and very connected. I’ll leave it at that.”
McKenzie was the first major hire made by owner Mark
Davis after he took over the team following the death of his father, Al, in 2011. McKenzie modernized the franchise, got the team out of salary cap purgatory, and built a roster that won 12 games under coach
Jack Del Rio in 2016, earning him honors as the league’s top executive.
But the Raiders slumped to a 6-10 record last season, leading Davis to fire Del Rio and get Gruden to take the hefty contract after years of courting.
Gruden set out to overhaul the roster, trading away and cutting many of McKenzie’s former draft picks
ESPN CHANGEUP
Baseball players may get a little more sleep when traveling after Sunday night games next year.
ESPN announced Monday it is moving up the starting time of the nationally televised game by one hour, with the first pitch planned for shortly after 7 p.m. Eastern.
WORSE FOR WASHINGTON
Washington tight end Jordan Reed could be done for the season because of a strained toe muscle.
Head coach Jay Gruden said Monday that he thinks Reed was hurt on Mark
Sanchez’s high throw on his first pass of a 40-16 loss to the Giants a day earlier.
Gruden said “there is a level of concern” with Reed, who leads the team with 54 catches and 558 receiving yards.