Will the Raiders be without Mike Mayock going forward?

Mike Mayock’s first NFL Draft as general manager for the Oakland Raiders was a stroke of genius, but will it prove to be his last one with the organization.

In his first season as general manager of the Oakland Raiders, Mike Mayock stepped in as a novice and became a candidate for Executive of the Year. When it comes to his free agent moves, his incredible draft class, or his overall relationship with his players, Mayock was the breath of fresh air this franchise needed after a four-win season.

Now, only one year after signing with the Raiders, could Mayock actually be on his way out?

During his State of the Nation podcast, the Athletic’s Vic Tafur stated that “he would not surprised” if Mayock left after one year, which sent off a firestorm on Twitter. In fairness to Tafur, he is around the team more than nearly everyone on Twitter, so if it coming from his mouth, there has to be some merit to it.

In addition, Tafur never reported that Mayock is leaving, it was just his opinion, so that has to be made clear as well. All signs point to Mayock being back with the team for the 2020 season, as the Raiders look to go from seven-wins in 2019, to the playoffs in their first season in Las Vegas.

Sure, there were trying times for Mayock in Year 1, including the terrible trade for Antonio Brown, which was a great move at the time, but blew up in the Raiders face. Mayock and Jon Gruden were at odds when it came to keeping Brown around, but eventually, AB did the damage himself, basically begging the Raiders to release him.

Truth be told, this is an exciting time to be around the Raiders franchise, as they are moving into a brand new building in a brand new city, and have so many weapons at their disposal heading into the new league year. They not only hold five of the first 100 picks in the 2020 NFL Draft, two of which are in the first round, but they also have a ton of cap space.

The dynamic between Gruden and Mayock has been a good one for the Raiders, and one can only imagine what this roster will look like in September. They have already locked up offensive linemen Richie Incognito and Rodney Hudson to new deals, and saw incredible production from their rookie class in 2019.

Of course, the biggest decision these two men have to make this offseason is whether or not Derek Carr is the team’s franchise quarterback as they enter Sin City. Carr had another solid statistical season in 2019, but Gruden grew frustrated with his inability to make plays with his legs, and the team did not take enough shots downfield.

If I were a betting man, I would say that Mayock is here for the long haul, as he and Gruden are building something special with this organization. Every relationship has their issues, and the whole AB saga was an embarrassment, but the good money should be place on Mayock being in the war room when the Raiders prepare for the 2020 NFL Draft.