The Around The League offseason forecast has deemed the Oakland Raiders' 2014 campaign a make-or-break one for general manager Reggie McKenzie and coach Dennis Allen.
Fed up with consecutive 4-12 seasons, owner Mark Davis acknowledged as much Tuesday in a interview with the San Francisco Chronicle.
"Every offseason is the most important at that time, but this is one that we've been building toward the last few years," Davis said. "So, yeah, there is no question. We have to hit it right now. The coaches, they're all signed. Dennis Allen has every coach that he wanted."
Davis emphasized twice that the roster "deconstruction" process of the past two years is "no excuse" for not bringing in better players thus far in "reconstruction." Moreover, there are "no built-in excuses anymore" now that McKenzie has a projected $65 million in salary cap space and a full complement of draft picks.
"Losing those last games last year was not good," Davis continued. "And the way we lost them was terrible."
Davis also echoed Allen's recent acknowledgement that the Raiders are still looking for their quarterback.
"We have to find somebody in the draft or in free agency that is going to be the identity of the Raiders," Davis explained. "I don't know if we really have an identity now."
Davis insisted NFL teams can't force a quarterback selection if the scouting department's evaluation doesn't line up with the early draft slot.
With only Terrelle Pryor and Matt McGloin as alternatives, that leaves Allen and McKenzie in a tight spot entering the most crucial offseason of their football careers.
On the latest edition of the "Around The League Podcast," the guys talk about the Jim Harbaugh drama in San Francisco and discuss who made the most striking impression at the NFL Scouting Combine.
