Putting Tyrell Williams on IR ‘only thing to do,’ Gruden says

Raiders coach Jon Gruden, guard Richie Incognito and safety Johnathan Abram met with the media Wednesday after practice.

Here are the highlights of what they said:

Gruden

On wide receiver Tyrell Williams going on season-ending injured reserve with a torn labrum: “He potentially could’ve tried to play through it and wear a harness, but when you have that much restricted movement, it’s hard to catch the ball away from your body. I think we all agreed putting him on IR was the only thing to do. We hope our young receivers can get done what our young (defensive backs) have to get done.”

On trading for linebacker Raekwon McMillan: “We liked him coming out of Ohio State (in 2017). So did a lot of people. He was a high pick (second round). He’s gotten a lot of production when he plays. He’s a good tackler. He’s a physical inside linebacker. We needed a linebacker. … We think he can play MIKE (middle linebacker). We think he can play SAM (strongside). We think he can help us on special teams.”

On the receivers: “We’re hoping (Henry) Ruggs can take some snaps and continue to improve. At the same time, we know (Nelson) Agholor can start. He can start on strongside, weakside and the slot. We like him a lot. Zay Jones is probably the most improved player. He’s really done a great job. … His stamina is really something I marvel at. This guy can run all day.”

Incognito

On the offensive line not having typical preseason preparation because of COVID-19 restrictions: “As soon as we put the pads on, it’s been full speed ahead. … We’ve had to interchange some pieces, but that’s nothing new to us. We’re deeper than the top five, so it’s going to be an exciting year.”

On the continuity of the line: “You’ve really got to figure out who those top five guys are and get them in there. Just the fact of life in the NFL, you are going to have to play with backups, so it’s important that your top seven, top eight offensive linemen get in there and do a lot of reps together. … I think the strength of this group is its depth in numbers. We are pretty rock solid beyond our top five, and when we do get our top five going, we’ll be one of the better units in the NFL.”

Abram

On coming back after missing nearly the entire season with a shoulder injury: “I’m very excited to get back out. I don’t think my biggest concern is rushing back to try to lay somebody out. More so being smarter this year, making sure I’m available because the best ability is availability.”

On rookie cornerbacks Damon Arnette and Amik Robertson: “Damon Arnette does things that you can’t coach. Amik Robertson wants to learn and wants to get better. Those two are going to be great. I don’t have any worries when it comes to those two. I think we got two of the best corners in the draft.”

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.