HERE’S JONNY
Gruden animated and barking orders in anticipated return to camp fields
NAPA >> Jon Gruden made his triumphant return to the fields of Napa on Friday, barking out orders 17 years after he last stepped on a training camp field with the silver and black, with almost his entire team in attendance.
Gruden was animated and felt back at home after six weeks away from his whole team. Asked if he had any flashbacks to his first training camp go-round with the Raiders,
he joked, “I did when I saw Jerry walk up,” referring to our own veteran Raiders beat man Jerry McDonald.
“My role at the beginning of practice is to let the assistant coaches do the fundamentals, a lot of the techniques that we’re coaching,” Gruden said. “I had a hard time standing and watching, but it’s just awesome to be here. I know I have a lot to prove, and I’m eager to do the best I can to do it.”
The Raiders’ best player, Khalil Mack, wasn’t in attendance, given his current contract holdout, but the Raiders proceeded with Day 1 nonetheless.
Here are 10 observations from opening day in Napa:
1. WHO’S ON THE FIRST-TEAM OFFENSIVE LINE? >> With Donald Penn on the physically unable to perform list to begin camp, rookie Kolton Miller is seeing firstteam snaps at left tackle. As expected, Kelechi Osemele, Rodney Hudson and Gabe Jackson are manning the inside while 32-yearold Breno Giacomini starts at right tackle for the time being. The Raiders offensive line took a step back in 2017 after a dominant 2016, and they’ll need better performance from the tackle spots to return to that level.
2. BRUCE IRVIN ALREADY CAUSING HAVOC >> On Friday alone, Irvin recorded an interception and a forced fumble, shouldering the responsibility of defensive line leader with Mack not in attendance.
Irvin easily picked off EJ Manuel and returned it the distance, finishing his pick-six with a backward fall into the end zone and airborne crotch grab a la Marshawn Lynch from his Seahawks days. Irvin also forced a Lynch fumble, recovered by the defense, and teased Lynch with punches after he lost the ball.
3. EACH QUARTERBACK
THROWS AN INTERCEPTION ON DAY 1 >>
It wasn’t the best day for Oakland’s signal callers. First, Shaquille Richardson picked off Connor Cook over the middle. Then Irvin plucked a terrible Manuel pass and took it to the end zone. Then Tevin Mitchel, a 2017 practice squad defensive back, snagged a Derek Carr pass on the sideline. Maybe he didn’t get both feet down before tumbling out of bounds, but it’ll certainly be talked about like an interception in the quarterbacks meeting room.
4. HOW DEFENSIVE LINE
SHOOK OUT WITHOUT MACK >>
The Raiders’ first four defensive linemen during team drills without Mack were Tank Carradine (filling in for Mack), Irvin, Mario Edwards Jr. and Justin Ellis. Edwards likely will play defensive tackle instead of defensive end this season, and Ellis is back as a hole-plugger after resigning on a three-year deal in the offseason. Maurice Hurst will see plenty of time, too, as the staff is sky high on the rookie fifthrounder from Michigan.
5. TIMETABLE FOR PENN, P.J. HALL >>
Hall hit the physically unable to perform list with an undisclosed injury earlier this week, which Gruden confirmed Friday to be a pectoral strain. The head coach said his rookie second-round defensive tackle will be out a couple days before returning to action. Penn, still recovering from foot surgery, will be back “soon,” Gruden said. Gruden wants his incumbent starting left tackle to prove he can swiftly change direction on a day-to-day basis.
6. MACK, VADAL ALEXANDER PLACED ON RESERVE/ DID NOT REPORT LIST >>
We knew Mack would end up on this list, but Alexander’s presence on it is unexpected. The third-year guard/tackle is suspended for the first four games of the regular season for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances, but that doesn’t mean he’s suspended from camp or preseason action. Neither player counts against the 90-man roster.
7. HOW THE SECONDARY
LINEUP LOOKS AT FIRST GLANCE >>
In 7-on-7 drills, the first four defensive backs on the field were Gareon Conley and Rashaan Melvin at cornerback, with Karl Joseph and Reggie Nelson at safety. New Raiders Marcus Gilchrist and Leon Hall slid into the slot position early in drills. Gilchrist’s versatility may allow him to start at safety this season, too. Daryl Worley and Dexter McDonald were the second set of outside cornerbacks, with Shareece Wright also seeing time in the slot.
8. PLAY OF THE DAY >>
I think I have to go back to Irvin on this one. We know he prefers putting his hand on the ground as opposed to dropping back in coverage, but his interception came when he dropped back in coverage. It might’ve been a relatively easy pluck of Manuel’s pass, but Irvin added some flair by bringing the whole defense with him to the end zone and topping it off with an emphatic celebration.
9. PLAYER QUOTE OF THE DAY >>
Carr on his good friend Mack: “I have been in contact with him. He’s my brother. We came in the same class. We’re gonna leave together some day . ... He was over at the house, and we didn’t talk about (his holdout) one time. We played pool, basketball, and I dunked on him.”
10. JON GRUDEN QUOTE OF THE DAY >>
Asked if he likes having fans watching camp: “As long as they’re fans. I love fans that are rooting for the Raiders. The more the merrier. But all the critics, they have to sit over there in the cheap seats.”