Originally Posted by
raiderman41
Mayock said some interesting things, if you paid attention to what words he used.
First of all, although he didn't come out and say Trent Brown would be traded, you could tell the Raiders aren't happy with Brown. He talked about Brown being in shape, having a strong commitment and being able to stay on the field.
Reading between the lines: Brown will be traded or released. As he is one of the game's most dominating tackles and teams with needs like the Dolphins and Jaguars have plenty of cap space, I expect Brown to be traded. What's his value? I wouldn't be surprised to see a third round pick in this year's draft with a potential second added next year based on his playing time.
Mayock was effusive in his praise of Nelson Agholor. He talked about how much he added to the team and his production. He also talked about his long-term relationship with him.
Reading between the lines: Agholor will be back if they can agree on a reasonable salary. Agholor likes being in Vegas, so both sides want to get a deal done.
Mayock would neither confirm nor deny Gabe Jackson would be released.
Reading between the lines: Not denying this is as good as a confirmation that Jackson may be on his way out. I have a feeling the Raiders might like to have Jackson back, but only at a reduced price. He has not performed in recent years as he did earlier in his career. He is an average to slightly below average guard, but is being paid like a dominant player. Reports are that Jackson will be released, but the fact that he hasn't been released yet indicates that there might be a chance he'll be back at a reduced price. If the Raiders can sign him to a one-year, "prove it" deal, then he might be worth it.
Mayock said the Raiders would be active in free-agency, but that the salary cap "jig saw" puzzle has not been assembled yet.Mayock also said the Raiders learned a lot from last year's COVID pre-season and offseason.
Reading between the lines: There are so many moving parts. The Raiders will have to cut players and/or salaries to get in under the cap, as teams assumed the cap would be around $220M this year when they were planning a couple of years ago. Instead the cap will be around $180 million. The Raiders know they have to add to their defense in free agency and the draft. Mayock also said that the Raiders learned (made some mistakes) last year in drafting Ami Robertson and Lynn Bowden, Jr., asking both players to move to different positions (slot corner and running back) in a year in which the offseason was shortened. Expect the Raiders to not take these types of gambles this year, and also expect the Raiders to avoid players who took the year off in 2020 -- unless they had a damned good reason for doing so, such as they thought their season was not going to happen, signed with an agent, started working out for the NFL then learned their college teams WERE going to play.
Mayock said that he and Gruden would both "pound the table" for Derek Carr.
Reading between the lines: As with every position on every team in the NFL, the Raiders are looking to upgrade their roster. If they believe they can upgrade at QB at a reasonable price and give the team a better chance of winning, the Raiders will move Derek Carr. Period. The Raiders may kick the tires on a Desean Watson or Russell Wilson trade, but if the price is too high and they believe a move would hurt the team in the short- and long-term, they won't make it. Neither Mayock nor Gruden have emphatically said that Derek Carr WILL be the team's QB in 2021, which is what only a few teams in the NFL would likely say about their QB. Players like Watson and Wilson rarely come available, which is why the Raiders have to look at what makes the most sense for this team and its Super Bowl chances.