This isn't a new thing for McKenzie, he has been a member of the Green Bay Packers front office for the last 19 years. The Packers are a team that has done it the right way, building through the draft and supplementing in free agency.
This is going to be the modus operandi of the Oakland Raiders moving forward.
Previous Regime Handcuffed McKenzie
It isn't that acquiring the likes of Carson Palmer and Aaron Curry was a bad idea. In fact, both promise to be important parts of the team moving forward. Give Palmer an entire offseason to learn the nuances of the Raiders offense and you will be surprised with his performance. I am looking for a breakout 2012 season from him.
With that said, Oakland did give up a bounty to acquire Palmer, a first- and second-round pick. That is a lot to give up for a veteran starting quarterback that hasn't had a great season in about five years.
This means that the Raiders are going to be without a pick in each of the first four rounds next month. While they will probably get a couple compensatory selections in the mid-rounds, this isn't an ideal situation for McKenzie.
The Plan
At the most, Oakland is going to have four picks in April's NFL draft. This will enable them to add depth to an already talented roster. You are probably looking at additions along both lines, in the secondary and maybe even at running back.
This draft isn't going to make or break the Raiders in the future. They already have those picks on the roster in the form of the aforementioned Palmer and Curry. What it will do is give them a few players that could pay dividends in 2012 and beyond.
Moving forward, the Raiders plan is going to be to build through the draft. This means that big ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
