Oakland Raiders’ Blueprint for Winning Free Agency

Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie knows that his job is on the line.

In the three years the team has been under his watch, the rosters that he's built have a combined 11-39 record for a pathetic winning percentage of 28.2%. There's no way to excuse that no matter how you look at it.

To be fair, the situation that he inherited when he took over in 2012 was an absolute mess. The roster was riddled with under-performing players that were vastly overpaid (remember Stanford Routt's five-year, $54.5 million deal?).

Oakland didn't have the personnel to succeed, and the dumpster fire that was the team's finances crippled the team even further. The organization spent a decade trying to dig its way out of a hole, which caused it to sink further and further into mediocrity.  

When McKenzie stepped in, he made a difficult but logical decision: Scrap the whole thing and start over.

Now, the team's finances are in order, but the losses keep piling up. For McKenzie to keep his job, the team can't just improve in 2015. It has to win, and it has to win now.

Fortunately, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Oakland is heading into the free agency period with plenty to spend. The players that the Raiders need will be available, and the team has the bankroll to bring them in.

The pieces are in place for McKenzie to put the team in position to finally make its way out of the NFL's basement.

Here's how he can do it.

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