UPDATE: Raiders Confirm Hiring Of Reggie McKenzie As New GM
OAKLAND (AP) - The Oakland Raiders said Friday they have reached an agreement with Green Bay Packers director of football operations Reggie McKenzie to become their new general manager.
The Raiders scheduled a news conference on Tuesday to introduce McKenzie, who will fulfill many of the duties handled by iconic owner Al Davis until his Oct. 8 death at age 82. One of McKenzie's first orders of business likely will be sitting down with coach Hue Jackson, who handled personnel decisions in recent months. Jackson, who just completed his first season as head coach after being elevated from offensive coordinator, pulled off the October trade for quarterback Carson Palmer after starter Jason Campbell broke his collarbone.
The 47-year-old McKenzie will take over his new job with the Raiders immediately, a person with knowledge of the hiring told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because those details weren't formally announced. That means McKenzie will leave the defending Super Bowl champion Packers (15-1) before they open defense of their title. The NFC's No. 1 seed is off this weekend with a first-round playoff bye.
ESPN first reported the deal. Oakland has gone without someone in a true GM role since Davis' longtime senior assistant, Bruce Allen, departed for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the 2003 season. Allen had been a top personnel executive for Davis from 1996-2003. Davis' son, Mark, is now making many top decisions.
Oakland went 8-8 this season after a promising 7-4 start, ending its playoff chances by losing four of the final five games - including a 38-26 home loss last Sunday to San Diego with a playoff berth still within reach. The Raiders have missed the postseason for the last nine years since losing in the Super Bowl after the 2002 season.
Davis loved to bring back former Raiders to the silver and black, and McKenzie fits the bill. He played linebacker for the Raiders from 1985-88 and joined the Packers as a pro personnel assistant in 1994. He was named director of football operations on May 27, 2008, and also previously worked in the role of director of pro personnel.
A 10th-round draft pick by the Los Angeles Raiders out of Tennessee in 1985, McKenzie played the first four of his six NFL seasons with the Raiders.
For the Packers, losing McKenzie is a double whammy.
Earlier Friday, Green Bay announced that Vice President Jason Wied had resigned from the team's front office because of health issues.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.)
