Reggie McKenzie ecstatic about teams compensatory picks

This afternoon, Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie spoke to the media in a conference call to address the announcement that the Raiders would receive three compensatory draft picks in the 2012 draft. Thos picks will be in the third round, fourth round, and fifth round.

Earlier today he was quoted as saying he was extremely happy with the picks the Raiders would be receiving, saying "Can you see the smile on my face? I'm sure it's big enough for you to see in Oakland."

He is at the owners meetings in Palm Peach Florida so if we could see it from here, that is saying a lot. He has not been bashful about his excitement with regards to his newfound draft picks. And you could hear it in his voice the moment he got on the line.

"What do you guys want?" McKenzie said playfully. "We're not here to talk about my new picks are we?"

As far as subjects that general managers are forced to talk about, this was one that McKenzie wanted to shout from the rooftops. So if we couldn't see his smile, we could certainly hear it in his voice.

"Let me tell you something. Whatever the formula is, I love this formula." McKenzie exclaimed. "I love it. The thought I would possibly get a three, a high one for Nnamdi [Asomugha] and the other, obviously this was better than I expected. So I am extremely excited about the compensatory picks that the league has afforded to the Raiders. Hopefully we can make do and have a some goods from them."

He was very confident that the Raiders could find starters in not just the third round pick, but all of the picks down through the fifth round.

"The number three pick, the number four pick. Honestly guys, when you set the board you think.. you try to set it where you can have some possible starters in thru the fifth round and then you get lucky with a college free agent seventh round. I've been fortunate to have some good fortune with latter in my 18 year career. I'm just going to limit it to the third round. Say ‘oh, you got a third rounder so you got one opportunity to get a starter.' I don't want to go into this draft like that. I want to get some good players and get as many possible starters as possible. Whether they're first-year starters, second, third-year. I wanna get some guys that got some potential to be starters. So don't tie me down just to the third round."

This is undoubtedly a tremendous relief for the Raiders' new general manager. He has had very little money to spend and just two guaranteed draft picks up to this point- fifth and sixth round picks.

Getting these three additional picks allows him to pick up whatever he wasn't able to get in free agency in the draft. It gives the team a total of five picks and puts them into the second day of the draft when before, they were looking at watching the draft until the third day.

Reggie McKenzie loves his draft picks. He proved as much in Green Bay. And today he feels like a kid in a candy store.