ALAMEDA, Calif. – Oakland Raiders General Manager Reggie McKenzie was named the Sporting News NFL Executive of the Year, Sporting News announced Monday. The honor was determined by a vote of NFL team executives.
In 2016, McKenzie's fifth year as general manager, the Raiders posted a 12-4 record and advanced to the postseason for the first time since the 2002 campaign. The Raiders had an NFL-high seven Pro Bowl selections, had two players earn first-team All-Pro recognition and DE Khalil Mack was named the Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year.
Since being named General Manager by Owner Mark Davis in 2012, four Raiders draft picks have gone on to receive Pro Bowl selections. Mack, the Raiders' first-round pick in 2014, earned his second straight Pro Bowl nod, while QB Derek Carr, the team's second-round selection that year, emerged as a Most Valuable Player candidate and has received Pro Bowl invitations in each of the last two seasons. WR Amari Cooper, the team's first-round pick in 2015, has also earned two Pro Bowl selections after beginning his career with consecutive 1,000-yard receiving campaigns. RB Latavius Murray, a sixth-round pick in 2013, earned a Pro Bowl bid in 2015 and was named an alternate this past year.
In addition, 10 players drafted by the Raiders in the fourth round or later since 2013 have started multiple games for the team and six different draft picks have earned All-Rookie honors.
Last offseason, the Raiders signed LB Bruce Irvin, S Reggie Nelson, G/T Kelechi Osemele and CB Sean Smith, securing four of the "top 25 available free agents" according to NFL.com. All seven of the team's draft picks saw significant action during the season and first-round selection S Karl Joseph was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team. A remarkable seven undrafted free agents, acquired by the Raiders in the weeks following the 2016 NFL Draft, finished the season on the team's active roster. From Subject Received Size Categories Vittorio DeBartolo (Basecamp) (SB Prod Articles/ News) AFC West Update Wed 10:26 AM 23 KB
Following the announcement of McKenzie's award, several members of the media chimed in to talk about the work of the Raiders general manager:
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport
MMQB's Peter King
