The Oakland Raiders have won just one football game in 2014. Don't assume that quality of play will cost Reggie McKenzie his job.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport spoke Thursday with Raiders owner Mark Davis, who said he's happy with how Oakland's general manager has maneuvered the team out of salary-cap troubles, while supplementing the roster with a promising draft class.
Davis believes McKenzie is laying a foundation that will make the Raiders an attractive team for head-coach candidates.
"We are in really good shape, based on the way Reggie put all the contracts together and everything else," Davis told Rapoport ahead of the team's Thursday Night Football win over the Kansas City Chiefs. "We're not settled with a lot of upside-down situations anymore. The situation he walked into originally was pretty tough. The deconstruction phase of that went very, very well. I think we're a pretty desirable place for someone that wants to come in and build."
Davis believes McKenzie located future stars in quarterback Derek Carr and linebacker Khalil Mack, the second-overall pick in May's draft.
"We have a new face on offense, which Derek could be the face of the future," Davis said. "We have a face on defense with Khalil Mack. Gabe Jackson might be a player. We have something to start building around. I don't know that we've had the ability to say that over the past few years."
Tony Sparano is currently in place as the team's interim head coach, but Davis remarked that McKenzie is "not an interim GM." It certainly sounds like McKenzie will get another year to turn things around barring a surprise option entering the mix.
"I think we're in position to start moving forward," Davis said. "And I think that's very desirable thing for this organization and someone that might want to be a part of bringing the Raiders back to the greatness."
The latest Around The NFL Podcast recaps the Raiders' shocking win over the Chiefs and previews every other Week 12 game. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.