‘We need to be a playoff team this year,’ Mayock says of Raiders

It took Raiders general manager Mike Mayock 20 minutes to make his main point on Wednesday when he met with the media for the first time since last April.

With the Raiders’ 53-man roster set for the time being and the 16-player practice squad close to completion, Mayock could finally publicly assess the roster he and head coach Jon Gruden have built over the last three years.

“We think we’re going to be a pretty good football team,” Mayock began. He was just warming up.

“We’re not hiding from expectations. Jon and I will both tell you that we feel like we need to be a playoff team this year. I don’t think there’s any doubt about that. That’s what the expectation is. We think we’ve done the infrastructure work necessary to put us in position.”

It will take much more than belief and conviction for that to come to fruition. Health always plays a role. Good fortune is always a consideration. Coming off two straight collapses in the second half of seasons, the Raiders need to figure out a way to play better from beginning to end.

But for the first time since the Gruden/Mayock tandem was formed in 2019, they believe they have the talent to reach the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 season and just the second time in the last 19 years.

That, coupled with a return to normalcy after dealing with all the havoc COVID-19 wreaked last year, leaves Mayock champing at the bit to begin the new season.

“I’m fired up,” Mayock said. “It’s part of, A, being back to normal, but, B, just more the accumulation of three years.”

The main reason for Mayock’s confidence — beyond the fact that Derek Carr is going into his fourth season under Gruden and the offense is coming off a top-10 finish in 2020 — is the maturation of the 2019 draft and undrafted free agent class that has evolved as the backbone of the Raiders’ roster.

The group consists of Josh Jacobs, Hunter Renfrow, Maxx Crosby, Alec Ingold, Foster Moreau, Trayvon Mullen, Cle Ferrell, Andre James, AJ Cole and Johnathan Abram.

“From a draft pick perspective, it’s kind of been fun for Year Three for me to kind of look back at ‘19 and see who’s become leaders on this team,” Mayock said. “Guys like Maxx Crosby, Foster Moreau, Hunter Renfrow, all three of them are leaders now. Along with Cle, Josh. Jon’s been really good. Trayvon. That class is kind of growing up. For me, that’s fun.”

Mayock also spoke highly of how members of the 2020 draft class, many of whom struggled with injuries and making the transition to the NFL in the middle of a pandemic, have embraced a return to a more normal offseason and training camp. Most notably he mentioned wide receivers Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards and defensive back Damon Arnette.

“Ruggs came in a little bit of a different guy,” Mayock said. “You can feel his speed more than last year. Arnette, I like the way he’s approached this camp. Bryan Edwards, everyone is excited about.”

The key will be how quickly a rebuilt offensive line comes together, whether Ruggs and Edwards are ready to contribute alongside Waller, Jacobs and tight end Darren Waller and how much better the Raiders’ defense can be after surrendering 29.9 points per game last year, third-most in the NFL.

For the defense to be significantly better, the Raiders’ rebuilt defensive line needs to become a strength. Mayock has a hunch that things will work out on the defensive line, but he is taking a wait-and-see approach.

“I feel like the answer to that question is a few weeks away,” Mayock said, pointing to the season opener against the Baltimore Ravens followed by a trip to Pittsburgh to play the Steelers.

“I’m just being honest with you,” Mayock continued. “I played for Bills Parcells. He always said potential means you ain’t done a damned thing yet. I’m a big believer in that. It doesn’t mean that these guys with us haven’t done it individually in the league. We just haven’t done it collectively as a Raiders defense yet.”

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