The Oakland Raiders currently own the No. 5 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. The team could go in a wide range of directions with that pick, but many believe a quarterback could once again be the best options. The Raiders worked through a quarterback carousel with Mat McGloin, Matt Flynn and Terrelle Pryor last season. General manager Reggie McKenzie is now making comments on a certain rookie, landing him in hot water.
McKenzie was asked what his thoughts were about quarterback Johnny Manziel who could find himself in Oakland next season. The general manager would not rank the quarterback in relation to other draft options, but praised the quarterback's abilities on the field.
"He's a playmaker," McKenzie said, via ESPN.com. "Whether it's him or whether it's any one of these other guys, when you can add a playmaker to your team that's what you're shooting for. Be it the draft, be it (a) free agent. It doesn't matter. And Johnny is a playmaker."
McKenzie is now apologizing as many speculate the comments could be viewed as tampering. However, the general manager is making it known that the Raiders are still in search of a franchise quarterback whether that comes in the draft or by way of free agency. Pryor and McGloin played well, but not well enough to earn the confidence of the team moving forward.
"We've got two young players who played this year (and) from an experience standpoint there wasn't any, so neither one of them stepped up and said, 'I'm the franchise quarterback.' So absolutely, we're going to always continue to upgrade and find that guy. Now how we find them, we'll figure that out in the next few months, to what's available to us," McKenzie said.
Could Manziel be that quarterback the Raiders are searching for? The issue could be whether or not the Raiders can even land the Texas A&M star. Currently, Manziel is ranked as the top pick in this year's draft. Selecting at No. 5 might get Oakland Teddy Bridgewater or Blake Bortles.
McKenzie is working his way through other offseason moves. The team must decide what to with marquee free agents like Darren McFadden, Charles Woodson and Jared Veldheer. Oakland appears ready to let the running back test the market first before considering whether or not to re-sign him.