Oakland Raiders Free Agency, Reggie McKenzie, & The Oakland Packers
By Jordan Trask
Jan 16, 2015; Alameda, CA, USA; Lombardi trophies of the Oakland Raiders victories in Super Bowls XI, XV and XVIII at the Raiders practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
In Search of the Raider Way
I hope Suh can be the guy that makes a decision based on destiny. A decision that could define his legacy while being apart of an emergence from the Black Hole. But if he’s not, you better believe that Reggie is bringing in others that want their own vision fulfilled in the silver and black. These players will easily buy into the leadership that Jack Del Rio brings to the table. This team will understand and accept the way their GM is building the franchise and they’ll want to be apart of it. No matter how great the seasons beyond may be for them, they should value the longevity and sustainability of a franchise. But most importantly, they have to want to see the change that is taking place.
The rich tradition of the Oakland Raiders needs to be appealing. A team with decades of Hall-Of-Famers shouldn’t beg for relevance as the tradition should speak for itself. If players don’t respect that then thats not our fault. I feel bad if the history of the game isn’t important to them as the NFL isn’t the same without the Raiders relevancy.
Teams have roles and it’s important that players work with the organization to understand them. Players can choose to be apart of great teams or decide to leave for the money. Typically, you can’t have both and team’s can’t afford to pay everyone.
Teams can try – like Miami is again. Even after this has failed them numerous times in the last decade as well. If they want to pay Suh that much, that’s their problem. But, this is why this type of culture in Miami will continue while the Raider’s culture transitions..