Mack or no, focus is on moving forward
Team settling in to day-by-day routine, even as star player continues holdout
NAPA >> The Raiders took a road trip around the block Saturday for Day 2 of training camp, nearly filling Napa Memorial Stadium with a crowd of more than 6,000.
Workouts and drills were condensed into a single field of play, rather than the usual two full practice fields on the grounds of Redwood Middle School.
Ten observations from the second day of choreography with the first padded practice to take place this morning:
1. NO MACK, NO PROBLEM >> It was at a public practice here in 2001 that Steve Wisniewski recanted his retirement and triumphantly trotted on to the field to the roar of the crowd.
No such luck with the holdout of Khalil Mack. In fact, at the conclusion of practice, fans were given a lithograph reprint of six Raiders — Jordy Nelson, Marshawn Lynch, Bruce Irvin, Kelechi Osemele, Derek Carr and Amari Cooper. Clearly, Mack wasn’t expected.
“Honestly, that name hasn’t come up a lot,” Osemele said. “I mean, we would love, love, for him to come back. But we’re so in to what we’re doing right now that’s what we’re focused on.”
Tank Carradine assumed Mack’s spot at first team left end.
2. GAREON CONLEY NOT AVAILABLE >> Missing a practice is no big deal, but it’s at least worth noting when the player is cornerback Gareon Conley, given the shin injury that cost him almost all of his rookie season. Conley didn’t practice and wasn’t present at the workout. There was no comment from the Raiders, and coach Jon Gruden, who so far has been pretty forthcoming about injuries, was not on the schedule to speak to the media.
Daryl Worley got most of the first team work along with Rashaan Melvin. Conley missed the end of the mandatory minicamp with a groin injury.
3. BRYANT CATCHES ON >> After a rough first day that got a lukewarm review from Gruden, wide receiver Martavis Bryant made the play of the session with a sprawling catch along the sideline on a pass from Derek Carr. He also got loose deep.
“He’s been good, just like we expected when we traded for him,” offensive coordinator Greg Olson said.
4. NO STONE UNTURNED >> Near the end of practice, the Raiders practiced running out the clock from the 1-yard line with six seconds to play. With a not-so-gentle urging from Gruden not to screw it up, Carr took the snap, rolled to his right in the end zone and then flung the ball deep into the stands.
The point of the play was for the game to end with the ball in the air. Then EJ Manuel, who got work with the second team, repeated the same play, firing the ball into the crowd.
5. BLOCK PARTY >> The offensive line gets its first chance to be truly physical with the pads on. In the meantime, Osemele said the Raiders are getting used to the philosophy of line coach Tom Cable.
Yes, the Raiders will run some zone scheme — with a twist in terms of forward progress.
“He never wants us to be lateral,” Osemele said. “It’s going to be more downhill. It’s not going to be sideline to sideline. That’s something he’s been talking to us about.”
Kolton Miller continues to work at left tackle, getting pointers from the injured Donald Penn. With
rookie Brandon Parker not practicing, veteran Breno Giacomini was with the first team on the right side. With Vadal Alexander not reporting for undisclosed reasons, the Raiders signed guard Oday Aboushi, a fouryear veteran who played for Cable in Seattle last year.
6. TOUGH CROWD >> When Seth Roberts dropped a ball along the sideline after on a Carr rollout to the right, he heard about it from the crowd.
The Raiders slot receiver the past two years, Roberts is fighting for a roster spot. Although receivers are
schooled in every position, Ryan Switzer appears to have the early upper hand to get the most work in the slot.
7. QBS ON THE RUN >> Under Gruden, Carr will use his feet more than in the past, and that’s been evident through two days. He’s been urged to run for first downs on rollouts (and then get down) if receivers aren’t available hopes of extending drives.
Manuel, competing with Connor Cook to the be the backup, is the better runner of the two, and it showed itself on a scramble. Cook did make a few nice throws, but as Olson said, “We’ve seen some good things from him, but he’s got to do a much better job of taking care of the football and more consistent play.”
8. ALUMNI FUN >> More than a hundred former players ranging from the 1960s all the way to 2014 (Miles Burris) bunked at the Napa Valley Marriott for their annual reunion. They took up a section at the stadium and were treated to a private lunch later.
There was a Mad Stork (Ted Hendricks), a Mad Bomber (Daryle Lamonica) and players both famous and virtually anonymous from every decade of the club’s existence. Some look as if they could still play. Others, such as Jim Otto (1960-74) and Bruce Davis (1979-87) are in wheelchairs or scooters, battle scars from a sport that can ravage the body.
Even Todd Marinovich was there.
Phil Villipiano, the former linebacker (1971-79), came in from New Jersey.
“The Giants and Jets couldn’t imagine doing something like this,” he said. “Who’s invited? Everybody. How cool is that? I can’t wait to get back in there and tell more lies to all our guys. The stories get bigger every year.”
9. JUMPING THE COACHES >> Wide receivers coach Edgar Bennett heard about it from Gruden when one of his receivers didn’t run a route correctly. It’s a common ploy utilized by Gruden in his first incarnation, as well as others through the years, including Bill Walsh.
The effect is two-pronged — a reminder to the assistant to keep on top of his position group, with the ancillary benefit of making the player feel responsible for his his position coach getting an earful from the boss.
10. REMEMBERING SPARANO >> Olson, the Raiders offensive coordinator when Tony Sparano was the line coach and interim head coach in 2014, was stunned to hear of his former colleague’s July 22 death due to heart disease.
“When he talked about his grandkids, his face really lit up,” Olson said. “I just thought he was a great role model as a father and a husband and a really dedicated football coach.”