Mayock is looking to figure out his roster
Las Vegas Raiders general manager Mike Mayock calls it a jigsaw puzzle, and right now there are seemingly as many pieces strewn about the table as those that have found a spot in the finished product.
The only free agents the Raiders have brought back are defensive end David Irving and quarterback Nathan Peterman, and relying heavily on either player at this point would be an indication that something went terribly wrong in the 2021 offseason.
Guard Gabe Jackson is reportedly on his way out, although the Raiders have yet to file his release with the NFL. One, that will definitely occur is the release of guard Richie Incognito, which was reported by NFL Media and confirmed by a team source.
Right tackle Trent Brown may or may not be cut or traded.
The Raiders have maneuverability under the $180.5 million salary cap floor. Factoring in Jackson’s departure, OverTheCap.com and Spotrac.com have the Raiders in the black. A reported carryover from the 2020 cap according to ESPN’s Field Yates of $7.7 million means the Raiders can be players in the free-agent game.
There are plenty of holes to fill and recent years are proof there are as many misses as there are hits. Mayock, coach Jon Gruden and salary cap manager/negotiator Tom Delaney will operate within the financial boundaries set by owner Mark Davis.
The Raiders will likely sign more of their own free agents before the leaguewide negotiating window begins on March 15 (players can sign contracts two days later). Some contracts may be restructured for additional cap space. Players may still be released, with slot corner Lamarcus Joyner checking in with an oversized cap hit of $11.2 million as a potential target.
“We’re just going to have to marry up our available resources with the market,” Mayock said Wednesday in a video conference. “Right now, it’s too early to tell you what that’s going to look like.”
Things gleaned from Mayock’s league-mandated availability: PASS RUSh PRiORiTY >> While it’s speculated the Raiders will “pick a rusher, any rusher” at No. 17 to put pressure on the quarterback in 2021, the reality could be different given the depth of the po
sition as it pertains to firstround possibilities.
There simply isn’t a Khalil Mack, Myles Garrett, Chase Young or a Bosa brother worth moving up for. Mayock seemed to echo the thoughts of longtime draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. in that the value at pass rusher would be on the second and third day of the draft.
Two years ago, the Raiders took Clelin Ferrell at No. 4 overall and wound up with a better pass rusher in Maxx Crosby in the fourth round at No. 106. There could be more Crosbys in the Class of 2021.
“I think you can get down into the third or fourth round and find some guys that were maybe at the Senior Bowl and some other places where you go, they’re pretty intriguing pass rushers,” Mayock said. “My impression coming out of our draft meetings is there is better depth to the outside class than I thought there was going to be.”
OUT OF THE DB MARKET? >>
Gruden had a public flirtation with Richard Sherman, who reciprocated on a podcast with host Cris Collinsworth a month ago.
Mel Kiper Jr. has the Raiders taking a safety at No. 1 overall in Trevon Moehrig of TCU.
And while there undoubtedly will be a new defensive back or three on the roster in 2021, the Raiders’ direction may be to simply count on previous additions to go from victims to playmakers rather than use free agent or draft capital on another corner or safety.
That means you Johnathan Abram. And Damon Arnette. And Amik Robertson.
“We’ve expended some resources in our secondary,” Mayock said. “Really, what we need more than anything is for those players to take it up a notch or two. I’m talking about commitment to the game, work
ethic perseverance, being in the locker room working with your brothers ... all of them need to take a collective step forward.”
The lure of Sherman, if it’s determined he can still be a top-flight corner, would be his influence on Abram and Arnette in particular as well as the secondary as a whole.
There’s also a hole at free safety alongside Arnette unless the Raiders are turning to Jeff Heath as the starter. Safety, pending franchise tags, has some of the biggest names in free agency in Denver’s Justin Simmons, New Orleans’ Marcus Williams, the Jets’ Marcus Maye, the Rams’ John Johnson III and Minnesota’s Anthony Harris.
Mayock reserves the
right to change his mind based on being overruled by coach Jon Gruden or if a strong case is made by new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.
“I couldn’t tell you today where we’re going to be on any defensive backs,” Mayock said.
A ‘NORMAL’ OFFSEASON >> An important part of getting players such as Abram and Arnette up to speed will be the presence of an offseason as opposed to last year’s distance learning through zoom due to the pandemic.
Mayock is cautiously optimistic there will be something approaching normalcy in 2021. The Raiders are scheduled to begin their offseason conditioning on April 19, 10 days before the NFL draft.
“Technically OTAs and everything are still on,” Mayock said. “We haven’t gotten any word that they’re not.”
Mayock then got on his soapbox for a moment about the importance of the offseason. Union president J.C. Tretter has voiced the opinion that the way teams performed during the COVID year served as evidence the offseason wasn’t necessary, which is at odds with the way Mayock, Gruden and everyone else in coaching and management feels.