Raiders G.M. Mike Mayock has signed a player he wouldn’t have drafted.
Seven years ago, Mayock -- then the pre-eminent draft analyst -- had low regard for then-Arizona State linebacker Vontaze Burfict.
“I put his tape on with absolutely zero preconceived notions,” Mayock said in a conference call with the media in the days before the 2012 draft. “I watched three tapes and really didn’t like him as a football player. . . . I think he’s a non-draftable kid. For me, he’s a free agent.”
Mayock was right; no one drafted Burfict. But the Bengals signed him, and Burfict became a solid-but-troubled player, with multiple suspensions and massive fines for playing the game on the wrong side of the line.
Now, Mayock and Burfict will be on the same side of the field. Given that (as Mayock has acknowledged) coach Jon Gruden runs the show in Oakland, it’s fair to wonder whether the move came with Mayock’s blessing, or against his advice.
Regardless, Burfict is a Raider. And the Raiders are the no-brainer choice to be the subject of this year’s edition of Hard Knocks.
