Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie is so excited about this year’s team that he is talking like a teenager.

“The energy is off the chain,” he said Monday.

McKenzie was asked what is different at this year’s training camp, as opposed to his first three building the team.

“You can’t tell? It’s obvious,” he said. “I think we’re big and strong. I think we’re fast. I like the way the players are responding to the coaches. ... The players are flying around.”

McKenzie made some mistakes and the Raiders lost 37 of 48 games his first three seasons, but says he now has the team where he “is excited to see every practice” at training camp at the Napa Valley Marriott.

There’s the new coaching staff, the foundation of good young players, and the sense that there is some real and meaningful competition at each roster spot. On the two 4-12 teams and last year’s 3-13 edition, the last few spots were gift-wrapped and given because they had to be.

“I knew I had to take some lumps,” McKenzie said. “To see it come like the way I had planned it from building the roster and getting the team together, it’s the best I’ve felt going into Napa and training camp since I’ve been here.

“I’m anxiously waiting for preseason games now. I want to see how they jell and come together. I feel pretty good about this team. Really good.”

After 135 players — and five starting quarterbacks — the past three years, Oakland finally seems to have some positive mojo and momentum.

“I can’t say enough good things about Derek,” McKenzie said about quarterback Derek Carr.

“He’s got all the intangibles to go along with his talent level,” McKenzie said. “You’re talking about a sophomore player; it’s not like he’s a 10-year vet. It’s Year 2 and two systems. I don’t want to put all the pressure on him, but we’re looking for big things. We’re excited about his whole game, from a mental standpoint and physically.”

McKenzie also thinks running back Latavius Murray is set to have a big year.

“He can do it all,” McKenzie said.

In fact, McKenzie said the Raiders are better at every spot on the roster.

To, which one reporter asked, ‘Even at cornerback?”

Oakland did not bring back Tarell Brown and Carlos Rogers. It’s going with second-year players TJ Carrie and Keith McGill and third-year veteran DJ Hayden.

“We’re better, the talent level is better,” McKenzie said. “Now, what we lack is experience. We played those guys last year. They were experienced players, been there and done it. But as far as talent, we feel pretty good about our talent.”

McKenzie also provided an intriguing nugget about former running back and former cornerback Taiwan Jones’ move back to running back.

“It was a no-brainer,” McKenzie said. “Especially with the way (new offensive coordinator) Bill Musgrave is going to use him.”

Jones has world-class speed, and Musgrave did some creative things with where he lined up Percy Harvin while he was in Minnesota.

Vic Tafur is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: vtafur@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VicTafur