Raiders Quotes: Defensive Ends

With the draft inching closer, the Oakland Raiders have options and a plethora of possible scenarios. Whether they attack certain positions early or not remains up in the air. Under those circumstances, the braintrust of Jon Gruden and Mayock need to figure things out. Below, are quotes from Gruden and Mayock regarding the draft and possible translation.

“It’s a mysterious group of guys, it really is,” Gruden, to Paul Gutierrez

Translation: The Raiders know exactly who they want to draft. However, they may auction off the fourth pick to trade down and grab picks. Between the second and fourth round, there’s a 71 pick gap for the Raiders. Mayock cherishes draft picks like McKenzie did. As a result, they will look to grab picks in that space.

“Obviously, (Nick) Bosa’s a great player (but) he’s an underclassman who didn’t even play much. A lot of these guys’ play-time is not what you want it to be — they don’t play a lot of snaps. They’re underclassmen, also, and a lot of these guys haven’t even done an individual workout. They haven’t even run yet.” Gruden stated

Translation: In a world where Gruden usually doubletalks, this comments feels truthful. Gruden and Mayock are tapehounds. That is to say, they value multiple games worth of quality film versus a myriad of opponents. To their credit, Gruden and Mayock hit on a great point about Nick Bosa. Although he possesses lightning-quick hands, not enough diverse film exists. Yet, don’t think the Raiders ado not look at him as a pass rush fix.

“I want to see Arden Key play better,” Gruden said, his voice rising. “I want to see our second-year players play better. They got to play a lot last year, big deal. I want to see them play great this year. I’ll start the conversation right there — Arden’s got to play better, he’s got to get stronger, he’s got to play better.” Gruden uttered

Translation: In 2019, Arden Key must quickly improve. With a draft class full of defensive end talent, his starting spot looks far from guaranteed. Key possesses outstanding speed and bust. However, his rush repertoire remains limited to a spin move and the inability to convert speed to power. With games versus Rodgers, Rivers, and Mahomes this season, the Raiders cannot take a patient approach to Key. Jon Gruden dismantled a roster on the fly.

In reality, these quotes actually give insight into Gruden and Mayock. If you take their previous comments with a grain of salt, these feel different. The Raiders spent money in the offseason and still possess valuable draft capital. Setting up for a sustained run via draft remains the top priority.