Raiders News: Jon Gruden Says Martavis Bryant Has Got to 'Play Better'

New Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden is not pleased with what he's seen from new Raiders wide receiver Martavis Bryant in the early portion of training camp.

"He's got to get out here and play better," Gruden said Saturday, per Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "He's in a competitive situation. Right now, a lot of the other receivers have had a nice camp. He's just got to learn the offense. He's got to stay out here. He's had some illnesses. He's got to get on the field. He's got to master the offense and become more versatile, and that's the key to making this team better."

Gehlken noted Bryant was absent from Wednesday’s practice because of the illness, and Gruden stressed the former Pittsburgh Steelers playmaker isn't guaranteed playing time even though Oakland traded a third-round pick for him this offseason.

"Nothing is going to be given to anybody," Gruden said. "It doesn't matter how you got here and what your history card says. We need everyone to understand the best players are going to play, and he's got to be more consistent. And I'm confident he will."

Bryant has his hands full in terms of finding a spot in the receiver rotation.

Amari Cooper and Jordy Nelson figure to be the primary targets, but Gehlken pointed to the play of Ryan Switzer, Johnny Holton, Dwayne Harris and Marcell Ateman during camp as well as the fact Seth Roberts possesses a guaranteed salary.

Bryant's upside and the realization Oakland gave up notable value should play in his favor, but it is far from a guaranteed conclusion at this point that he will be the third option behind Cooper and Nelson.

This also comes after Gehlken reported in June some in Oakland feared "NFL discipline might be imminent" in regard to Bryant because of the league's substance-abuse policy. He clarified that doesn't automatically mean there was a failed test, but even a failure to attend an exam can lead to an infraction after he missed the 2016 season with violations.

Bryant played 15 games last year with the Steelers and tallied 50 catches for 603 yards and three touchdowns.

When he is healthy and on the field, he brings the combination of size (6'4") and speed in the open field to serve as both a red-zone threat and someone who can take the top off the defense on a deep ball. Gruden is looking for more of that as the season approaches.