Penn sees positives despite missteps
For a 35-year-old preparing for his 13th NFL season, Donald Penn repeated an interesting phrase several times Monday.
“Time,” Penn said, “is on my side.”
Penn was not looking back over the two weeks since he moved to right tackle upon returning from foot surgery, but at the two weeks remaining before the Raiders host the Los Angeles Rams in their season opener. Penn likely will make his first NFL start at right tackle in that game under the lights of “Monday Night Football.”
“Sept. 10, baby,” Penn said. “Sept. 10, that thing better be going. It’s going to be going.”
The Raiders hope it’ll be going, as head coach Jon Gru-
den all but confirmed Monday his intent to start rookie Kolton Miller at left tackle in Week 1. Miller, the first-round pick from UCLA, worked at left tackle all offseason while Penn recovered from foot surgery performed in December. When Penn, a three-time Pro Bowl selection at left tackle, returned to practice Aug. 14, Miller remained on the left side.
“I think he’s improving every week,” Gruden said of Miller. “He’s going to have his hands full all year, just like every left tackle does — especially every rookie left tackle. But we are really, really excited about the man from UCLA.”
The Raiders on Monday released right tackle Breno Giacomini, who missed most of training camp with a knee injury. And for much of camp, Oakland had Ian Silberman, who hadn’t played right tackle since college, working there with the first-team offense. Rookie tackle Brandon Parker also missed part of camp with an ankle injury and has not progressed as much as Miller.
Right tackle, then, belongs to Penn — whose 20 snaps in his preseason debut Friday against the Packers nearly equaled his career experience at the position. Penn played 24 snaps at right tackle in Week 1 of 2016. He acknowledged his return Friday left room for improvement.
“Very rusty,” Penn said. “I knew going into that game that was going to be tough on me. I was excited to get out there and try it out live. It’s a different speed in practice than it is in the game. I wish I could’ve done some things a lot better. I saw some things that I need to fix and some things I need to work on.”
Penn was perhaps most visible on the final play of the Raiders’ opening possession, when Green Bay linebacker Reggie Gilbert pushed him backward into quarterback Derek Carr, who fumbled and recovered for a 10-yard loss. Gruden said he still thought Penn did “some good things.”
“I’m sure people will point to that (play) and say it wasn’t a good performance,” Gruden said. “But I thought for his first time back on the field in a long time, going against the first team of the Packers, I thought he did some good things.”
Penn said the biggest part of Friday for him was building confidence in his surgically repaired foot: “Pushing off on it and planting it and sustaining it against other big guys going into me.” He said he believes the technique — much of it opposite to what feels natural to him — will come.
“Left tackle, I’ve got a sweet rhythm over there,” Penn said. “I know that rhythm. I know I can get in a left-tackle stance right now and show you that rhythm — it’s going to look sweet. Right tackle, I’m trying to find that rhythm right now.”
Penn said he has been staying after practices to work with offensive line coach Tom Cable on sets and techniques, and has instructed the Raiders’ defensive linemen to give him full-speed looks in practice “because I need those extra reps.”
“The more time that comes, the more comfortable, the more confidence I get in that foot,” he said. “And it’s coming along.”
Though Gruden said he plans to rest most of his starters, as is customary, in Thursday’s preseason finale at Seattle, Penn said he would be open to the extra game reps if the Raiders decide to play him. There are, after all, only so many days left until Sept. 10.
“Time’s on my side,” Penn said, “and I feel like I’m getting more comfortable with it every day.” Matt Kawahara is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mkawahara@ sfchronicle.com Twitter: @matthewkawahara