COMMENTARY | General manager Reggie McKenzie made it perfectly clear when he arrived in Oakland last year that he wasn't going to tolerate the undisciplined nature that's plagued the Raiders since...well, forever.
Free agent defensive tackle Desmond Bryant found himself in a difficult situation on Sunday morning when he was arrested on charges of "criminal mischief," according to Miami-Dade County Police.
Although the extent of these charges are still unknown, Bryant's arrest couldn't have come at a worse time.
As a starter in 2012, Bryant finished with three sacks in his final four games, and gave the front office hope that it had something special on the defensive line with him in the lineup.
He was supposed to be one of McKenzie's top priorities this offseason, as the team has already parted ways with defensive tackle Richard Seymour.
Now, McKenzie must make a decision that goes far beyond the football field.
He wants to make the Raiders a more disciplined organization, which is why he fired former head coach Hue Jackson after an 8-8 season in 2011, a season that had the Raiders one win away from their first postseason birth in a decade.
Jackson's 2011 team finished with 163 penalties, the most in NFL history.
Despite an exciting offense and a bright future, McKenzie gave Jackson the axe to prove that only disciplined football would be tolerated in Oakland.
So what does he do with Bryant?
If McKenzie re-signs him, it's sure to cast a shadow of uncertainty about how serious he is about changing the culture of this team.
After all, he still held on to troubled linebacker Rolando McClain, who has made it very public he doesn't want to play for the Raiders.
McClain has been arrested several times since Oakland drafted him in 2010, yet he remains a Raider.
McKenzie has to establish some consistency in this organization, or it will continue its downward spiral toward irrelevance.
The Raiders have taken on the image of "renegades" and "thugs" since Al Davis took over the team in the early 1960s.
It's an aura that other teams used to fear.
But as we've seen over the last decade, the Raiders portrayal of intimidation hasn't been taken very seriously at all.
McKenzie needs to lay his foot down as to how tolerant he's going to be with these off-the-field incidents.
Bryant still remains a top priority for the Raiders this offseason. The man can play defensive tackle, and that's something Oakland desperately needs.
"Criminal mischief" isn't a very telling charge, and it will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Until then, McKenzie needs to keep his options open.
Steven Slivka is a Featured Columnist for the Oakland Raiders. You can follow him on Twitter @stevenslivka
