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Mike Mayock sits in front of a camera bank late Saturday afternoon, for the third time in three days. He was comfortable in his chair. The joy and relief was evident after his first NFL project as general manager of the Oakland Raiders.
During his maiden voyage, instead of analyzing them as the NFL Network's leading expert on projects, he was able to sit back, relax a bit, and compare his experiences.
Mayock started doing it with a story. He had dinner with the former Baltimore Ravens general manager, Ozzie Newsome, at the Senior Bowl in January, and asked him for advice.
He said, "Mike, all I can tell you is that having an opinion is way easier than making a decision," said Mayock. of that in the milking parlor …
"The difference, it's just the property, the skin in the game." That meant something different this week for me.At the end of the day, we will not know how we did for a few years, but we could not feel better today because I think we stayed consistent with our philosophy and selected the type of guy we want to incorporate into this building. "
The Raiders made nine selections and five trades in the NFL draft in 2019, covering several positions requiring upgrades and front-line depth. Not all players were liked by all people. Such is life in evaluating the inexact science of scouting.
But the Raiders are left with a solid and elevated class that does not contain red flags for the character or medical issues. The group consists of Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell, Alabama running back Josh Jacobs and Mississippi state security Johnathan Abram, a first-round trio that will help immediately.
Coach Jon Gruden has the last word on staffing. The Raiders have a building run by a coach and have run a project inspired by a coach. Mayock was open about these facts, but he pushed Sunday back to the inaccurate notion that he's just here as Gruden's assistant. He played a key role in trading for Antonio Brown, finding the appropriate value for several free agents and, yes, by executing those choices.
"[Jon] He's a guy with a strong opinion, and he's led me to have an equally strong opinion, and I think that's the important thing that people have to understand, "said Mayock. . "I did not come here to try to set up a painting. I came here to work with Jon and help him build a football team, a championship football team. I also knew that I had to come here and earn the respect of people. "
Mayock is already gaining by his work ethic during the pre-writing process. This is also what was done with the draft and his opinion gave positive results. The first version of Mayock left no room for rookie mistakes. Gruden had to trust Mayock's vision, and all was well. There were stressful moments, especially during the exchanges hoping to get a particular player and an additional choice.
It worked several times, when the Raiders traded twice and cornerback Trayvon Mullen was still in the second round, or cornerback Isaiah Johnson in the fourth. The Raiders were aggressive in choosing the receiver Hunter Renfrow in the fifth round. The biggest move was the one that was not done, when the Raiders stayed behind and took Ferrell to fourth place.
That's when the weight rests firmly on the shoulders of Mayock, but it bends. He felt comfortable and confident in his preparation, his decisions and the smooth running of the draft room.
The satisfaction of making this hard work a mess, but the phone calls to the selections themselves were even more moving than expected.
"It was great because it was so real," said Mayock. "For most of them, I would follow [Gruden] I went there and talked to children unless we had a job. I choked several times – I really did – after feeling the emotion on the phone. I want to say, [Clelin] Ferrell could not speak. I could hardly speak. I am moved by these things.
"It's pretty cool because I remember being a 10th round pick and I still remember getting a phone call from the Pittsburgh Steelers and what it was like. So I'm excited that they're so excited to hear from Jon Gruden, and to the extent that I can add some, it's great. "
Mayock was excited and willing to forge a new career, working for an NFL team and scanning them all from a distance. He stained his hands this time and exerted a great influence on a crucial Raiders out of season.
"He did a good job," Gruden said Thursday, when he was only available for the press in the repechage. "I think I said a few weeks ago not to interrupt, but it has energized the building, Mayock has energized me … and our franchise will benefit.
Mayock has known Gruden for decades, but believes that their working relationships have built excellent chemistry in recent months.
[[[[RELATED: Breaking down the Raiders draft class in Mayock-isms]
"Jon and I spent a lot of morning mornings watching movies in this building, discussing players," said Mayock. "I was with the coaches, I do not know how many days, in free agency and in preparation. Just like me, Jon and all the coaching staff, we taped and talked about the players. I was vehement about the type of guy we want to bring in this building.
"A lot of coaches just want talent, sometimes they do not really care about the rest, they want talent, and I think we complement each other because I listened when I had a strong opinion. And when Jon has a strong opinion, I listen and we go there a bit, which is really good, but in the end, I think the important thing is that when we make a decision, it's a decision by Raider. "
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