Raiders’ health a feel-good story
Irvin and Edwards are activated; Cooper back after slight knee issue
The first day off of training camp treated the Raiders well.
Three significant players returned from injury on Thursday, two of whom made their trainingcamp debuts, as coach Jack Del Rio had reasons to smile on Day 5 of work. Here are three things we learned: 1. RAIDERS ARE GETTING HEALTHY
» Wide receiver Amari Cooper was back after missing one day with what appears to be a minor knee issue ( he had his left knee wrapped in ice as he left the locker room following practice), and linebacker Bruce Irvin and defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. were both activated from the non-football injury list.
Irvin’s injury has remained undisclosed, while Edwards reportedly dealt with a hamstring strain as both sat out for the first four days of camp.
Edwards’ injury had been of particular note because he enters his third year starting to build a reputation as being prone to various ailments. He missed the final two games of his rookie season with a mysterious neck injury that led to whispers that his career could be in danger. That proved false, and he returned last offseason, only to injure his hand in camp after punching a teammate’s helmet and then suffering a significant hip injury in the first quarter of the opening exhibition game.
The Raiders placed him on injured reserve, and he missed the first 14 games of the year before finally making it back for the final two games and the wild-card playoff loss to the Houston Texans.
“Staying healthy is pretty big for me, but I’m back, so I’m ready to play,” Edwards said.
While his absences have led to some growing frustration among fans, that hasn’t permeated the former Florida State star. He said he knew before arriving in Napa that he would miss the first few
practices and just worked on what he needed to do to get healthy.
“I don’t get too high with the high, too low with the lows,” Edwards said. “I stay pretty even- Steven. It’s an obstacle, but I get over it and I’m ready to go.”
Irvin declined to speak with the media, but was pretty active on his first day back. He was right in there with the first-team defense, taking the majority of the repetitions.
Cooper, despite that ice on his knee, also seemed perfectly fine. He showed off his precise and fluid route running with one post corner route that left him wide open, and later displayed his added strength when he out-muscled cornerback Sean Smith to make a catch in traffic.
2. DEFENSE PUNCHES BACK
» It’s no surprise that the Raiders offense has been ahead of the defense for the first week of training camp. They’ve got Derek Carr, an MVP candidate from a year ago, and almost every piece available from an offense that ranked sixth in the league last season. The only starter they’re missing is holdout left tackle Donald Penn.
But on the day the defense got back two starters in Irvin and Edwards, it also saw the secondary make a few plays and begin to push back against Carr and company.
Cornerback David Amerson had one interception of Carr during team drills (although tight end Jared Cook showed some nice hustle by flagging him down and stripping the ball) and Dexter McDonald also picked off a jump-ball pass in the end zone.
“It’s good to see,” Del Rio said. “We’ve got an offense that’s probably ahead in terms of cohesiveness and healthy players out there, but I think our defense is going to be pretty good this year. I think you’re seeing some of those signs, so a lot of positives in between. And to me, I like the way the group’s working. There’s good competition, but we’re learning how to practice against each other. It’s tough because you don’t play against the Raiders on Sunday, but there’s a lot of work you’ve got to get in, a lot of things that need to be sorted out, so you have to challenge each other, you have to compete at the highest level, yet pull back, take care of your teammates.” 3. STILL NO GAREON CONLEY » There was a report that the Raiders’ first-round pick would make his return Thursday, but that proved unfounded. In reality, he still seems to be at least a few days away.
As General Manager Reggie McKenzie said Monday, Conley still needs to run pain-free as he tries to return from shin splints. The cornerback has yet to be seen working out on the sidelines, which would be an important step for him in progressing toward a return.
Thus the odds of him playing in the first exhibition game Aug. 12 are dropping by the day.
• According to the NFL Network, the Raiders signed linebacker Rufus Johnson, who most recently was waived in May by Washington. A former sixth-round pick from 2013 by the New Orleans Saints, he played only one NFL game in 2015 with the New England Patriots. He reportedly was involved in a serious car accident on Wednesday.
• Linebacker Jelani Jenkins didn’t practice Thursday for undisclosed reasons. The former Miami Dolphin, the only experienced free agent the Raiders signed on defense, has yet to see any first-team defensive action even when he was on the field.
• Fullback Jamize Olawale, underrated at times for his speed, broke free down the left sideline on a wheel route for a 30-yard touchdown from Carr. With the Raiders doing some mixing and matching of units, Olawale beat third- string linebacker Xavier WoodsonLuster on the play.
• Undrafted receiver Isaac Whitney left his feet to make a nice diving grab along the sidelines on a pass from Connor Cook.