Raiders, 49ers ready for joint practice
Mcdaniels, players expect focus to be a little bit stronger
The Raiders haven’t spent a whole lot of time studying the offensive and defensive systems of the 49ers ahead of two joint practices between the teams Thursday and Friday.
“It’s not going to be a big schemea-thon,” Raiders coach Josh Mcdaniels said early this week.
The practices at the team facility in Henderson will instead be more of a chance for the teams to get reps for their top players against new competition ahead of Sunday’s preseason game at Allegiant Stadium that will feature mostly reserves.
“I think this is going to be just two teams trying to improve, get better, play good football and see where they stand,” Mcdaniels said. “And a lot of people will get opportunities. I think it’s a great change-up for us, as coaches, as organizations, to be able to just line up against somebody different.”
The players are just as excited as the coaches.
“The competition will rise up a little bit,” cornerback Sam Webb said. “Competing against a different team, seeing a different scheme, going against a different quarterback. These are all good things that we look forward to.”
There is only so much that can get accomplished when a team’s offense and defense are just going against each other day after day.
The defense knows the plays and the concepts, which eventually diminishes how much the players are able to get out of the drills. It’s also difficult to gauge whether the offense is playing well or the defense poorly, and vice versa, on a day-to-day basis.
The practices with the 49ers will help both teams in that regard. It’s also a great chance to set up specific situations the coaches want to work on with their starting units, which is why the practices are often more beneficial than preseason games.
“It’s just great competition,” Raiders offensive tackle Brandon Parker said. “They’re coming to compete with us with everything they’ve got, and we’re going right back at them. In the end, it’s just going to be some high-quality, intense competition.”
Farrell activated
Raiders defensive lineman Neil Farrell was cleared to return to practice.
Farrell, a second-year player whom the Raiders are counting on to be an anchor along their defensive line, was put on the Non-football Injury list to start training camp for an undisclosed reason.
He practiced Wednesday in an indoor session that was contested in helmets and shorts.
A fourth-round pick out of Louisiana State last year, Farrell appeared in nine games as a rookie and had 12 tackles.
Cornerback applauds depth
Cornerback Tyler Hall is excited about the depth in the Raiders’ secondary even if it means it will be more difficult to carve out his place on the roster.
“I would just say it’s been a healthy competition,” he said. “A lot of guys in our room are guys who want to prove themselves, I would say. Everybody’s learning from each other and trying to get better each day.”
Hall said his game has taken a step forward after he made an impact during his first season with the Raiders.
“The more snaps and reps I get, game experience, that’s just where the confidence just grows within the defense, and just knowing my assignment and understanding what I’m supposed to be doing at all times,” he said.