Staying healthy big key for Raiders’ Gareon Conley
NAPA, Calif. (AP) — Gareon Conley hasn’t been shy about asking for help as he attempts to cement his spot as the Oakland Raiders’ top cornerback.
In the early days of training camp. Conley was one of a handful of players who gathered to watch film after practice with linebacker Vontaze Burfict, a veteran of defensive coordinator Paul Guenther’s system. On Tuesday, Conley spent part of the morning going one on one with Antonio Brown as the seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver continues to slowly work his way back from a foot injury.
“Of course, it’s going to make me better,” Conley said. “Every time I get a chance to go against him I try to go against him and always ask him questions about when he breaks and what he’s doing at the line, down the field, how he plays against (defensive backs). It’s going to make me better in the long run.”
In many ways Conley is trying to make up for lost time.
The 24th overall pick in 2017 missed all of training camp and the season opener that year with what former Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie described as shin splints. Conley, who on Tuesday clarified the injury was a broken tibia, was limited to two games as a rookie.
In 2018, Conley missed more than two weeks of camp with a hip strain he suffered on the first day of practice. He played well when healthy, starting 14 games with three interceptions and one touchdown.
“We’re just trying to get him to be all he can be for 16 weeks,” Raiders coach Jon Gruden said. “We want him to be healthy. If he’s out there every day he’s got a chance to be an excellent football player. That’s the big thing right now.”
Conley had his hands full with Brown. When the two locked up in positional drills, Brown beat Conley with a quick inside move. Later during a passing drill, Brown used a double move to pull away from Conley late in the route then turned his back to the end zone and hauled in a long touchdown pass from Derek Carr.