The good, bad of Raiders preseason.
ALAMEDA >> Training camp is over, with the Raiders returning to the relative quiet of the home facility on Harbor Bay Parkway to prepare for the 2017 season.
In a news sense, it was a camp dominated by things that happened off the field — the holdout of left tackle Donald Penn, the legal issues and injury situation of top pick Gareon Conley, the Marshawn Lynch sit-down for the national anthem and the arrest of cornerback Sean Smith.
But over 15 practices on the field, there was both good and bad as players jockeyed for position on what will ultimately be a 53-man roster.
Here are the top 10 winners and losers:
WINNERS
1. QUARTERBACK DEREK CARR >> The Raiders will go as far as Carr takes them. Has shown no signs of being anything less than a top 10 quarterback or better in the NFL.
You may group the heart of the offensive line, center Rodney Hudson and guards Gabe Jackson and Kelechi Osemele, in with Carr. Linemen are used to not getting individual credit. 2. DEFENSIVE END KHALIL MACK >> Missed a couple of practices, but the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year looks poised to put himself
in line to be a $100 million man next offseason.
3. RUNNING BACK MARSHAWN LYNCH >> Never missed a practice, appears to be healthy and rejuvenated. With support from three backs who also had excellent camps -- DeAndre Washington, Jalen Richard and Jamize Olawale -- this just might work.
As for the national anthem issue, it may ruffle some feathers outside the organization, but rest assured his teammates won’t consider it a problem.
4. STRONG SAFETY KARL JOSEPH >> Joseph has both legs under him after being unsure of himself as a rookie following ACL surgery. The most explosive young safety the Raiders have had in years.
5. WIDE RECEIVER MICHAEL CRABTREE >> Hard to believe he used to miss so much practice time with various injuries with the 49ers. He’s put in a day’s work every day he’s been a Raider and is catching everything in sight.
Amari Cooper, the other starter, will be watched closely because of a knee tweak and missed a number of practices. When practicing, Cooper has added some size and appeared to be more aggressive in attacking the ball, particularly on high-point opportunities.
6. TIGHT END JARED COOK >> So many weapons on offense he may not get huge numbers, but Cook’s presence in the seam will draw attention away from Crabtree and Cooper. Together with Lee Smith and Clive Walford, it’s a diverse position group and one of the best in the NFL.
7. DEFENSIVE TACKLE EDDIE VANDERDOES>> Your leader in the clubhouse as the Raiders’ rookie of the year, Vanderdoes has run with the first team since the outset. The third-round draft pick out of UCLA has caught the eye of Carr and Mack as a player to watch and could provide the interior push the Raiders desperately need.
8. SAFETY SHALOM LUANI >> Will be a special teams contributor for sure, and the seventh-round draft pick has such a nose for the ball Luani could find his way in to some defensive packages before long.
9. CENTER/GUARD IAN SILBERMAN >> Earned rave reviews from coach Jack Del Rio and line coach Mike Tice after playing a nearly flawless game against Arizona in his first time as
a center. Will get a shot at guard this week and has an outside chance of coming out of nowhere and making the 53-man roster.
10. END/LINEBACKER JAMES COWSER >> Doesn’t look the part, but Cowser has a natural ability to shed blocks and make plays, whether it be on running plays in the backfield or as a pass rusher.
LOSERS
1. CORNERBACK SEAN SMITH >> Wound up in a Pasadena jail Thursday with two felony charges for assault and battery. Before then had a poor preseason game against Arizona and an uneven camp that saw him drop off the first team, only to perform better this week before his arrest. Roster spot is very much in jeopardy
and could be the least of his problems.
2. GENERAL MANAGER REGGIE MCKENZIE >> Left tackle Donald Penn is not on the field and Saturday night Carr will drop back to pass without his bodyguard. Yes, Penn has a contract. Which he out-performed.
At age 34, Penn is getting the classic NFL brush off. No league treats its senior members so poorly. The Raiders and McKenzie should be bigger than that.
3. CORNERBACK GAREON CONLEY >> His legal issues are behind him and forget the whole shin splints Twitter thing. Particularly with Smith’s situation, the Raiders need their No. 1 draft pick on the field and they need him to be very good.
The problem is Conley has done almost nothing in
two months and there’s no telling when they’ll see the player they drafted.
4. SAFETY OBI MELIFONWU >> The plan was to train the 6-foot-4, 224-pound Melifonwu to be a hybrid linebacker/safety who could help with the Raiders’ longstanding issue of letting tight ends roam free in the secondary.
Instead, Melifonwu practiced only twice with an unspecified injury (believed to be an ankle) and essentially missed the last 13 practices, only recently getting on the field for a few warmups and half-speed drills. He’s way behind.
5. DEFENSIVE TACKLE JIHAD WARD >> Second-round pick from a year ago is off the physically unable to perform list and should be able to begin practicing soon.
Given that major development often takes place between Year 1 and Year 2, Ward lost valuable time after foot surgery.
6. LINEBACKER BEN HEENEY >> A starter to begin the season last year, Heeney’s ankle injury during a Week 3 special teams play in 2016 was a serious one -- so much so that he hasn’t seen the field since. Remains on the non-football injury list (yes, it was a football injury, but it happened so long ago he can’t go on PUP).
7. GUARD DENVER KIRKLAND >> Expected to be out an extended period of time and don’t be surprised if he winds up on injured reserve with the option to bring him back later this season. Injured lower leg against Arizona.
Kirkland is a big, powerful presence who is the closest thing the Raiders have to Osemele and Jackson and was a valuable backup on the interior.
8. OUTSIDE LINEBACKER/END SHILIQUE CALHOUN >> Is being schooled by Bruce Irvin but has yet to break through as a force either in practice or preseason games.
9. RUNNING BACK ELIJAH HOOD >> Not because he’s done anything wrong, it’s just that the backfield is so crowded it’s hard to envision the seventh-round pick from North Carolina making the 53-man roster if everyone remains. Healthy. Didn’t play against Arizona. Will see how much he plays against the Rams. Is it possible the Raiders are stashing him for a possible practice squad spot?
10. QUARTERBACK CONNOR COOK >> Cook was decent against Arizona and has fared better of late in practice. He’s gained some ground on EJ Manuel of late to be Carr’s backup but at this point remains No. 3.