Hue Jackson Fired, Reggie McKenzie Asserts His Newfound Authority

Reggie McKenzie was named the general manager of the Oakland Raiders a few days ago. He wasted no time in asserting his power, as he reportedly fired head coach Hue Jackson today, according to a league source.

I can't help but wonder if Jackson's decision to broker a deal with Mike Brown for Carson Palmer might be at least partly behind this decision.

Whatever the case may be, the Raiders are now looking for a new head coach.

Get in line.

This move also indicates that the Raiders organization is going in a completely different direction next year. I can't help but wonder what other moves might be upcoming.

McKenzie was the director of player personnel for the Green Bay Packers from 1994 until a few days ago. He knows how to build a team. 

Jackson was trying to reignite the Raiders with a return to the old days. He wanted to carry on the legacy of the late, great Al Davis. 

McKenzie has shown that he is about to take this franchise in a completely different direction. There is a new sheriff in town, and he's cleaning house. 

This is McKenzie's chance to start from scratch. He will now bring in the kind of people he wants to lead the Raiders from here on out. 

I'm personally intrigued by what is going to happen in Oakland for the next three to five years, and I think things might actually get a bit worse before they get better.

My gut instinct is that firing Jackson is only the first of many surprises coming out of Oakland this offseason. 

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