- 21,784
- 2,957
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2007
Last edited:
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: this_feature_currently_requires_accessing_site_using_safari
5 questions as Raiders prepare to open training camp
By Vic Tafur
July 29, 2015 Updated: July 29, 2015 9:04pm
First, let’s get the non-question out of the way: The Raiders are no doubt better than they were last year, because … they have to be. Oakland lost its first 10 games en route to a 3-13 season.
Let’s also deal with the big non-football question: Is this the Raiders’ last season in Oakland?
Could be. Could not be. The team sat down with city officials and the NFL on Wednesday to discuss a lack of progress on a new stadium, as everyone seemingly waits on the Rams to see if they are moving from St. Louis to Los Angeles.
The Raiders don’t have a lot of leverage right now.
But this is not the business or news section. The Raiders want Oakland fans to buy tickets this year, so let’s look at the five biggest questions as we get ready for training camp Thursday.
Here are the biggest questions heading into camp:
1. Is Derek Carr ready to take the next step?
This is a quarterback-driven league, and new head coach Jack Del Rio would like to think he has a franchise centerpiece in Carr. Del Rio is already Carr’s third head coach after an up-and-down rookie season in which he occasionally missed passes in a conservative, playmaker-starved offense.
Carr did finish on an upswing, completing 84 of 154 passes for seven touchdowns and an interception in the team’s last four games. He is a smart kid with a strong arm, who now has legitimate options in first-round pick Amari Cooper, former 49ers wideout Michael Crabtree and rookie tight end Clive Walford. Rod Streater (888 yards in 2013) is also back after missing 13 games with a broken foot.
The hype on Cooper is full speed ahead, as Jerry Rice the other day told Raiders.com that the receiver from Alabama is “very much like Tim Brown. Very explosive, got speed to burn.”
2. What does $70 million buy?
The Raiders had the most salary-cap space in the NFL, a year after they had $65 million and did a poor job spending it. How did they do this year? They decided not to break the bank for All-Pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, instead signing center Rodney Hudson to a five-year, $44.5 million contract and adding several other starters they hope are solid.
Hudson is an elite center, but how much better does the former Chief make the Raiders? Last year’s starter, Stefen Wisniewski — by all means solid — signed with the Jaguars for one year for $2.5 million. Does $7 million more for Hudson really jump-start an offense that was 31st in points and 32nd in yards? We’ll see.
The Raiders also signed run-stopping defensive tackle Dan Williams, Crabtree and versatile third-down running back Roy Helu. Those additions all seem fine.
But middle linebacker Curtis Lofton is coming off a bad year with the Saints, and Philadelphia fans and media were incredulous that Oakland gave former Eagles safety Nate Allen $23 million for four years. That’s not a great sign.
3. Can they make opposing quarterbacks uncomfortable?
They didn’t last year, and the Raiders are counting on a star turn from second-year outside linebacker Khalil Mack. Mack might move permanently to defensive end, and should improve on his four sacks from last season. If Williams and Justin Ellis can be stout inside, that will prevent the Peyton Mannings and Philip Riverses from stepping up in the pocket when Mack abuses the tackle and comes flying around the corner.
Justin Tuck has been a good leader and seems poised to improve on last season’s five-sack output. Second-round pick Mario Edwards also will get every opportunity to make an impact.
If new defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. can’t manufacture some pressure and improve on last year’s 22 sacks, it could be a long season for young cornerbacks TJ Carrie, Keith McGill, DJ Hayden and Neiko Thorpe.
4. Can the Raiders be a bully on offense?
Sorry to borrow former head coach Hue Jackson’s phrase, but that is what Oakland wants to be. Just like last year under head coaches Dennis Allen and Tony Sparano, the Raiders want to establish the ground game behind a big, nimble offensive line. Besides the coaches, running backs Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew are gone, as is Wisniewski. Big 2014 free-agent signing Austin Howard has been moved from guard to right tackle after a disappointing season. The left side of the line is very good with Donald Penn and Gabe Jackson lining up next to Hudson. Latavius Murray will get every chance to be the lead running back as whispers are that the Trent Richardson reclamation project is not going so well.
5. Who is running the show?
Del Rio has come to Oakland not only with a lack of pressure, but as the face of the organization. Even more so than Carr or Mack. Owner Mark Davis had more to do with Del Rio’s hiring than Reggie McKenzie did, and the fourth-year general manager definitely would be the fall guy if the Raiders can’t double last year’s win total.
Del Rio already has a stronger hand in personnel decisions than any Raiders head coach has had in decades, and one of the more intriguing aspects of camp will be to see which of the returning players get on his good side and which get chopped.
Raiders rave about energy a day before training camp begins
Posted on July 30, 2015 by Jimmy Durkin
NAPA — Energy was the word of the day for the Raiders as players checked themselves into training camp ahead of Friday’s opening practice.
The new coaching staff, powered by Jack Del Rio, has the players enthused about getting to work.
“During the offseason, I woke up every day like, ‘Man, I can’t wait to get around those coaches’,” punter Marquette King said. “They bring so much more energy. Each coach is a different character and I love it.”
That excitement will be needed as the Raiders aim for their first winning season since 2002.
Second-year cornerback T.J. Carrie said the staff brings the fire first thing in the morning.
“From getting breakfast in the morning, the energy is always there,” Carrie said. “It’s fun when you have an electrifying group of staff who are willing to put it all on the line each and every moment. You feed off that energy. Them yelling and screaming at you at breakfast is something that you definitely get used to.”
Thursday was the reporting day for all players, but rookies, quarterbacks and a handful of other players have been around since Sunday getting extra preparation before camp begins.
“We got away from it for a month so to get back out with the coaches and go over some of the plays we’re going to run was good for myself and some of the younger guys,” rookie tight end Clive Walford said.
The Raiders will spend the next three-plus weeks in Napa before returning to their Alameda facility Aug. 25. Walford said he’s ready to get started and isn’t worried about any Wine Country heat waves.
“Camp is always a grind so you’ve just got to come with that mindset,” said Walford, a third-round pick out of Miami. “I’m from Florida so this heat ain’t really nothing for me.”
Many eyes will be locked on how Walford and first-round pick Amari Cooper connect with quarterback Derek Carr after their work together was limited by Carr’s finger injury that kept him out of most of the OTAs. Carr and Cooper put in some extra work together after the team’s June mini-camp to build a better connection before camp kicked off.
“He hasn’t really been practicing when I first got to OTAs, so I wanted to build a rapport with him,” Cooper said. “It was beneficial because we got a couple of days to throw. He is very accurate with the football.”
Like all teams, there’s optimism at the start of camp. The Raiders feel like they can make strides this season, but King understands there’s not much point in verbalizing why or how the Raiders will be better.
“I’m gonna just let ya’ll see,” he said. “I don’t even want to talk anymore. I just want to let the team do what they do. We’ll just let the playing talk.”
Raiders’ wide receivers are ready to go
By Vic TafurJuly 30, 2015 Updated: July 30, 2015 7:23pm
As Derek Carr was getting ready for training camp, the Raiders’ quarterback put things in perspective to his brother, David.
“The most telling thing is he told me that last year’s starting receivers are battling for roster spots this year,” David Carr said.
In fact, one of them, James Jones, already has been cut after starting 10 games last year. Newcomers Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree are penciled in as starters now, with Andre Holmes (13 starts), Kenbrell Thompkins (seven starts) and Rod Streater (three starts) fighting for roles.
Training camp starts Friday, and most of the players checked in to the Napa Valley Marriott on Thursday. Rookies such as Cooper, quarterbacks and players coming off injury hit town Sunday.
The hype has been traveling pretty fast on Cooper, the team’s first-round pick, since he was drafted, and on Thursday, he was asked about Jerry Rice comparing him to Raiders soon-to-be Hall of Famer Tim Brown.
“It makes me feel great just to be compared to a player going to the Hall of Fame,” Cooper said.
Of course …
“I haven’t really seen him play,” Cooper said, when asked about similarities to Brown.
Cooper, though, said he has been picking the brain of Crabtree, who is trying to bounce back from two injury-plagued seasons with the 49ers.
“Yeah, he’s a great player,” Cooper said. “I always watch him. He uses his body well to get open and is raw, so I try to steal those things from him.”
Crabtree already has a connection to Derek Carr, because he and David were teammates in San Francisco in 2010.
“I like that guy a lot,” David Carr said. “He wants to be good. He is always in the quarterback’s ear about things he sees and how plays can develop.”
Crabtree went to Bakersfield, along with several receivers, two weeks ago to work with Derek Carr at his family’s training complex.
“He is such a great teammate,” Derek Carr said over the phone then. “He is so competitive and a real football junkie.”
Derek Carr also praised Cooper’s work ethic, and the two have been pitching and catching in Napa all week. Carr has said it’s “ridiculous” how suddenly Cooper gets in and out of his cuts.
A lot of how well the Raiders do this season is tied to Derek Carr’s development in his second season, and his success connecting with Cooper and Crabtree. Cooper knows this, and hears all the praise from reporters, draft experts and legends like Rice.
Doesn’t affect him at all.
“No, I don’t really feel any pressure to deliver,” Cooper said.
He might at one point, in high school or college at Alabama, but not anymore.
“I have before, but I’ve really grown as a person so I don’t really feel any pressure anymore,” Cooper said.
So go ahead and pile on some more.
T.J. Carrie prepared for more responsibility
Bill Williamson, ESPN Staff Writer
T.J. Carrie reported to the Oakland Raiders' training camp Thursday, realizing this summer will be different than last.
Last year, Carrie was just trying to make the Raiders' roster. This year, he is trying to make the Raiders feel comfortable he can be one of their foundation pieces on defense.
As a seventh-round pick, Carrie was one of the Raiders' better, young players in 2014. He came out of nowhere to become a solid contributor on defense and as a returner. Carrie started four games and is now in position to become a regular starter.
The Raiders didn't add any potential starting cornerbacks this season. They are relying on Carrie and fellow youngsters D.J. Hayden and Keith McGill. Carrie has been the most consistent of the group. He knows he has to continue to show the Oakland coaching staff this summer he is up for an increased role rather than been seen as a player just trying to hang on as was the case last summer.
"When you are looked at as a starter, the mistakes and errors have to be limited to pretty much none," Carrie said. "So last year as a rookie, they're willing to give you those mistakes and opportunities to fail because you're learning, you're getting acclimated to the NFL and to the season and the different aspects of what you have to do. But coming into the next year and you're projected to be a starter, they expect more of a higher level from you as an athlete. The pressure is definitely building higher."
Is Carrie up for it? Apparently, yes.
Timing key for Derek Carr, rookie targets
Bill Williamson, ESPN Staff Writer
Derek Carr has been making up time with two rookie targets the Oakland Raiders hope he connects with often in the next several years.
The Raiders' rookies and quarterbacks were among the players to start work earlier this week at their Napa, California, training camp. The first full-team practice is Friday morning. As the entire team reported for camp Thursday, receiver Amari Cooper (first round) and tight Clive Walford (third round) spoke about catching up with Carr.
Carr, a second-round pick who was the only rookie quarterback to start all 16 games last season, missed a big portion of the offseason workouts with a finger issue. He did participate in the mandatory June minicamp and held his own personal camp in Bakersfield recently.
Cooper believes the timing with Carr is coming along well as the Raiders begin camp in earnest. Cooper said the plan is to build chemistry daily in camp.
"Just to get some time with him, he hasn't really been practicing when I first got to OTAs, so I wanted to build a rapport with him," said Cooper, who was the No. 4 overall pick out of Alabama. "It was beneficial because we got a couple of days to throw. He is very accurate with the football."
Like Cooper, Walford is expected to get immediate playing time. He is encouraged by what he has seen from Carr.
"He goes out there with a lot of confidence, makes great throws," Walford said. "You don't really see him miss throws. You can't really tell that he was missing."
Might be the last game in Oaklandso excited for the season. my dad, brother and me(life long raider fans) are finally going to go see a game in oakland in december. we've gone to one game when they played the cards in phx back in 2001 i think
raider5 yeah thats why we decided we HAD to finally go this year. any recommendations you guys for the trip/game?
Johnny_Cakes tucson az. We driving up. Don't know how long the drive is
Some notes from the beat writers on Day 1:
-Derrek Carr & Michael Crabtree seem to have some legit chemistry so far. Crabtree was getting thrown too all the time on 7v7's, constantly making catches.
-Khall Mack plays at a different speed than everyone else.
-Marcel Reece slimmed down (apparently in a good way), hopefully we finally utilize him properly.
-Trent Richardson & Rod Streater were on the Non Football Injury list and are expected to come back soon.
-TE Clive Walford was out too...not sure if it was on the non football injury list or not...should be back soon.
-Sio Moore lookin like he might be out a minute.
Crabtree shines on Day 1 of training camp
Posted on July 31, 2015 by Jimmy Durkin
NAPA — Two throws provided some reason to develop hope and excitement for the Raiders offense on the first day of training camp.
Both were high and along the sideline from Derek Carr and Michael Crabtree leaped to high point the pass over a defender, hauling it in and hanging on as they tried to knock it free.
Following his disappointing final season with the 49ers last year, Crabtree had the look of a potential impact player for the Raiders as the team opened camp in Napa.
“He stood out today, made some nice catches,” coach Jack Del Rio said of Crabtree. “Mike’s a proven player. I don’t think we have to worry much about Mike, other than becoming a good teammate, getting himself in tip-top shape and being ready to have a great year.”
Carr, feeling more confident as he opens this camp as the unquestioned starter, raved about Crabtree.
“For some reason, it’s just easy to throw to him,” Carr said. “And that’s a credit to his route-running abilities, that’s a credit to the extra work he put in in the offseason. That guy works his tail off. You can tell when he gets out here because he makes it look so easy. He’s making one-handed catches on go routes one foot off the ground like, ‘Oh, I do that every day,’ which he does.”
Crabtree was among the players who joined Carr in Bakersfield earlier in July for a two-day session aimed at developing chemistry with his receivers, something made more important when Carr missed time this offseason with a finger injury that’s now fully healed.
“It’s important for any quarterback-receiver relationship to have that chemistry,” Crabtree said.
Carr complimented how Crabtree “finishes friendly to the quarterback,” a trait Crabtree indicated was a no-brainer for a receiver to possess.
“As a receiver, you want to be the quarterback’s friend, right?,” Crabtree said.
Carr’s other new friend, first-round pick Amari Cooper, figures to be in the starting lineup with Crabtree and the group will need plenty more work to fully mesh before the start of the season.
“To take two new guys and throw them into the starting role, that’s tough to do because there’s a lot to learn mentally,” Carr said.
Carr feels like his own mental game has grown after his rookie year experience and his teammates are noticing a difference.
“He’s grown, he’s a little more mature compared to last year,” running back Latavius Murray said. “Him knowing that he’s our quarterback, he takes that job very serious and he’s definitely leading us.”
Carr acknowledged the completely different scenario.
“There’s no, ‘Hey you’re the guy of the future’,” Carr said. “It’s ‘Hey, you’re the guy now.’ It’s nice knowing that because now I can really be myself.
“It was (Matt) Schaub’s team. There’s certain things where you can’t step on his toes, you want to let him do his thing. This time around it’s completely different, especially having 16 games under my belt.”
Raiders QB Derek Carr sharp in first practice
By MICHAEL WAGAMAN (Associated Press)
2 hours ago
AP - Sports
NAPA, Calif. (AP) -- Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr dropped back to pass, scanned the field then hit wide receiver Michael Crabtree for a 30-yard completion.
Carr and Crabtree later connected for another long gain moments later despite solid coverage from safety Charles Woodson,
Sitting in stands adjacent to the practice field, two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Jim Plunkett nodded his approval.
The Raiders opened the door to their glorious past and invited more than 50 former players to attend the team's first training camp practice at the request of owner Mark Davis.
Yet all eyes were on Carr and Oakland's current roster of players as they went through a 2 1/2-hour workout on Friday.
''It's just a totally different situation,'' said Carr, who started all 16 games as a rookie last season. ''Just coming in, you know what to expect. You've done it before, you've seen it and you can hit the ground running a lot faster. It's not seeing a new coverage for the first time. You go out and you just play.''
The Raiders hope that having a year of experience under his belt will allow Carr to continue the development that began when he beat out Matt Schaub for the starting job coming out of camp last year.
Oakland beefed up its offensive line to give Carr better protection and signed Crabtree then drafted Amari Cooper to strengthen the receiving corps.
Cooper had a fairly nondescript first practice and caught only a handful of passes during 7-on-7 drills.
Crabtree, who signed a one-year contract with Oakland as a free agent, clearly stood out. He made a long reception after cornerback DJ Hayden deflected the ball, then jumped over Woodson and one other defensive back to catch the second long throw from Carr.
''It's important for any quarterback-receiver relationship to have that chemistry,'' Crabtree said. ''That's what camp is for. I'm ready to attack it more.''
The Raiders' first training camp practice under new coach Jack Del Rio had a different feel from when Oakland opened camp in 2014 with questions about then-coach Dennis Allen's job security.
Del Rio, the former Denver defensive coordinator who also spent nine years as Jacksonville's head coach, watched as his young quarterback completed several passes during a team scrimmage. Del Rio later watched as the defense outplayed the offense during one segment of practice, which ended with the offensive players and coaches doing grass drills together near the middle of the field.
''It was good to get started,'' Del Rio said. ''I think a team comes together in camp, and this is that time of year where we'll need to put in the work and pay the price. We're ready to do that.''
The Raiders had nearly full attendance for their first practice. Backup running back Trent Richardson, wide receiver Rod Streater and linebacker Sio Moore did not suit up because of a variety of maladies. Moore and Richardson worked out with a team trainer while the rest of the team practiced.
In the stands several former Raiders players who are in town as part of the Raiders' alumni weekend took it all in.
The former players didn't just watch the workout. Hall of Fame wide receiver James Lofton gave the team's annual media presentation speech to the younger players Thursday evening, shortly after the players had undergone a conditioning test.
''Once a Raider always a Raider,'' Del Rio said. ''To get a lot of those guys back is awesome.''
Notes: Ray-Ray Armstrong practiced with the first-team defense while Moore sits out with a hip injury. ... Rookie Anthony Morris is backing up veteran Donald Penn at left tackle. ... The Raiders are contemplating using Cooper at punt returner in addition to playing him on offense. The fourth overall pick in the draft, Cooper has not returned punts since high school.