As such, Mayock’s baptism by fire as a real NFL general manager after nearly two decades as a TV GM was a resounding success.
The Raiders absolutely fleeced the Pittsburgh Steelers in the trade for seven-time Pro Bowl receiver Antonio Brown, a transaction that becomes official at 4 p.m. ET Wednesday with the start of the new league year, and Mayock was at the helm. Not only in surrendering only third- and fifth-round picks for a four-time first-team All-Pro, but in negotiating Brown’s new contract.cheap nike nfl jerseys wholesale
“Mayock is a very, very talented general manager and he’s a tough negotiator,” Brown’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told NFL Network, Mayock’s previous employer. “Any chance you guys would take him back? He was a hard guy to strike a bargain with.”
Rosenhaus laughed.
“He did a good job,” he said of Mayock. “You guys would have thought he was a veteran general manager. This is my 31st year; you never would have known that this was his first year as a GM. He was very sharp and he was very professional, and it was good working with him. He actually worked on Antonio’s deal with me.”
Of course, Rosenhaus would be in a giddy mood. He got his client a raise on the remaining three years of his contract to the tune of $30.125 million guaranteed on a deal worth $50.125 million that can increase to $54.125 million with incentives.
On one hand, that’s a lot of coin for a receiver who had become a distraction in Pittsburgh, will turn 31 on July 10 and gives Raiders fans bad memories of Randy Moss’ unmotivated two-year stint in Oakland.cheap nfl jerseys china nike
On the other hand, it simply is the price of doing business with a potential Hall of Fame player who is still one of the best receivers in the game, in his prime after leading the NFL with 15 touchdown catches last season and will be “a hungry and determined wide receiver to get back to his old ways of dominating,” according to Moss, now an ESPN NFL analyst.
And don’t forget Brown being a member of a mutual admiration society with Raiders coach Jon Gruden and quarterback Derek Carr. Or how Brown, who has averaged 114 receptions for 1,524 yards and 11 touchdowns over the past six seasons, instantly upgrades the offense for a franchise that never had a player hit those marks in catches or receiving yards in a single season.