Raiders assistant GM ‘disappointed’ to be passed over for promotion

MOBILE, Ala. — The Raiders expressed hope that assistant general manager Champ Kelly would stay on after the team chose to hire Tom Telesco as its general manager instead.

So, consider it a good sign Kelly is part of the club’s contingency this week at the Senior Bowl. More than 100 of college football’s top prospects are at the event as part of the build up to April’s draft.

Kelly was the Raiders’ interim general manager the final nine weeks of the season. He was considered a favorite to earn the job full-time, much like coach Antonio Pierce did, after the team went 5-4 in that span.

The Raiders went in another direction. They opted to pair Pierce with the more experienced Telesco, who was the Chargers general manager the last 11 seasons. Owner Mark Davis said afterwards he still considers Kelly an integral part of the organization.

“He’s extremely talented and intelligent,” Davis said.

Kelly will remain as Telesco’s assistant unless he’s hired to be another team’s general manager. He did interview for the Panthers opening two weeks ago, but the job went to Dan Morgan.

Kelly has yet to comment publicly on the Raiders’ decision. He did post a lengthy statement on Facebook on Jan. 23 in which he said his faith will help him overcome being passed over.

“I am disappointed the way things turned out,” Kelly said. “But it won’t shake my Trust in the Lord. My faith muscle is strong. I am tremendously honored and humbled by all of the support, thoughts and prayers over the last few days. It has been a trying ‘wait’ period, but your prayers lifted and encouraged myself and my family.”

Here are other notes from the first day of Senior Bowl practice:

Penix shines

Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has questions to answer entering the draft.

He’s a bit on the older side, as he’ll be 24 years old as a rookie. Some of the injuries he suffered in college — he had two ACL tears and dislocated his non-throwing shoulder — could raise red flags about his long-term viability.

It’s a different story on the field.

Penix was a Heisman Trophy finalist last season and led the Huskies to the national championship game. He also put on a show the first day of Senior Bowl practice.

The southpaw sprayed the ball all over the field while showing touch, accuracy and velocity. His arm talent is impressive enough to push him into the top half of the first round with a good week.

The Raiders, who are scheduled to pick 13th overall, are taking a long look at the Senior Bowl quarterbacks. It’s worth noting Penix’s performance happened just a few feet from where Kelly was standing.

Nix starts slow

Penix’s former Pac-12 rival, Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, had a rough opening day.

Nix was late on a few throws. It’s also clear he doesn’t have the same arm talent that Penix or some of the other top prospects possess.

There was some talk this week that Nix could go in the top-10 selections. He’s got some ground to make up after flashing just an average arm Tuesday.

Quinyon Mitchell steals show

The Raiders could look to add an cornerback this offseason with Amik Robertson being a pending free agent.

Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell is one player on their radar.

Mitchell got his hands on multiple passes Tuesday and was effective in man and zone coverage. It’s clear he combines physical gifts with a great understanding of the position.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X