Football camp updates
Helmeted Brown practices; Lloyd’s 55-yarder
Antonio Brown practiced with the Raiders on Tuesday, which might not have otherwise been notable, except for what Brown had with him on the field.
Brown had skipped out on some Raiders training camp practices over the past couple of weeks because he has been battling the NFL in a push to wear the same helmet he has worn his entire career, the Schutt AiR Advantage. But on Tuesday, even though multiple local reporters said Brown worked off to the side and without his helmet, Gruden confirmed that Brown wore a model approved by the NFL and the NFL Players Association.
“It’s a certified helmet,” Gruden told reporters when asked what type of helmet Brown wore. “He’s all-in, ready to go. That’s my understanding, and I’m really happy to have him out here. He’s a great player.”
Brown, according to reports, filed his second grievance against the NFL seeking to wear the old helmet. Last week, his first grievance was rejected by a neutral independent arbitrator. Brown’s original helmet is more than 10 years old and thus ineligible to be certified under standards set forth by the National Operating Commission on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE).
In response to the missed practices, Raiders general manager Mike Mayock told reporters he expected the helmet issue to be resolved fairly soon.
“So here’s the bottom line,” Mayock said Sunday. “He’s pretty upset about the helmet issue. We have supported that. We appreciate that. But at this point, we’ve pretty much exhausted all avenues of relief. So from our perspective, it’s time for him to be all in or all out. So we’re hoping he’s back soon.”
It has been a strange introduction for Brown to the Raiders. Aside from the helmet issue, Brown has been recuperating from extreme frostbite suffered during a mishap during a cryotherapy session.
Oakland has been limiting Brown’s participation in onfield drills because of the foot injury, but the latest indications have been positive, Gruden said.
“He’s good, really good,” Gruden said. “He has shown great retention of what we’re doing. He didn’t miss the offseason program. He’s been here and out of here, in meetings. It’s just good to have him back, but he’s in great shape. He’s running hard and running good routes.”
Brown is one of the most talented receivers in football, a seven-time Pro Bowler and four-time all-pro whom the Raiders acquired in an offseason trade with the Steelers.
– Lorenzo Reyes
Carli Lloyd’s big kick
U.S. women’s soccer star Carli Lloyd is a huge Eagles fan, and Tuesday she made a stop at the NFL team’s facility to watch a joint practice with the Ravens and then to show their field goal kickers how it’s done.
Lloyd, who is a two-time FIFA Player of the Year, a twotime World Cup champion and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, laced up her cleats, walked onto the practice field and made a 55-yard field goal attempt look really, really easy.
She drilled it right through the center of the tighter practice goalposts.