The Raiders will be picking fifth overall in this year’s draft and their perceived need for a quarterback is going to lead to a lot of speculation about them coming away with one of the top collegiate signal callers.
One of the players on that list is 2012 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel and General Manager Reggie McKenzie was asked about him during a meeting with reporters on Thursday. McKenzie avoided ranking Manziel in relation to other possibilities, but said was the kind of quarterback you try to get.
“He’s a playmaker,” McKenzie said, via Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com. “Whether it’s him or one of these other guys, when you can add a playmaker, that’s what you shoot for.”
McKenzie touched on other offseason decisions as well, identifying running back Rashad Jennings, left tackle Jared Veldheer, defensive lineman LaMarr Houston and safety Charles Woodson as impending free agents he will be trying to bring back to Oakland. McKenzie also said that he expects running back Darren McFadden to test the free agent market and the Raiders’ willingness to let him do so likely means the former first-round pick has played his last game for the team.