Mario Edwards Jr. hopes new position brings better results.
Sapp holds class before practice with Detroit
NAPA >> Twenty minutes before the Raiders’ joint practice with the Lions on Tuesday, Mario Edwards Jr. received pass-rushing advice from Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp.
Sapp, who won a Super Bowl with Jon Gruden in Tampa Bay and spent the last four years of his career with the Raiders, probably had some words of wisdom the fourth-year Raider could benefit from. Edwards wouldn’t divulge exactly what move Sapp said, but said he executed that move to perfection in practice when beating Lions center and 2018 first-rounder Frank Ragnow to pressure the quarterback.
“We just kept repeating it and repeating it, and I just tried it,” Edwards said of his pre-practice session with Sapp. “It worked.”
“Just to do a certain move and to make sure that once I do it, to sell it real good and then rip,” Edwards said of what Sapp told him. “It worked, worked good for me ...
definitely going to continue to put it in my arsenal.”
Edwards will need as many tricks in his arsenal as possible this season. There’s a reason the Raiders drafted two defensive tackles in P.J. Hall and Maurice Hurst, and signed veteran Ahtyba Rubin for added competition. The middle of the defensive line was arguably Oakland’s worst position group a season ago, with Eddie Vanderdoes, Justin Ellis and Treyvon Hester failing to muster any real threat on the interior. Denico Autry, the Raiders’ best defensive tackle in 2017, signed with the Colts in free agency.
Edwards played defensive end the first three years of his career after the Raiders used a 2015 second-round pick on him, but he’ll primarily play defensive tackle in 2018 with Bruce Irvin moving to defensive end, Oakland drafting
Arden Key and Tank Carradine signing in free agency. Staying healthy is priority No. 1 for Edwards — he’s played only 30 games in three seasons — and he’ll need to parlay that good health into the first truly impactful season of his career if he wants to stay ahead of the rookie defensive tackles.
“He’s had some really good practices here. He’s flashed at times,” Gruden said. “He’s showed some penetration and quickness. It’s a very competitive situation now with Maurice Hurst and P.J. Hall back. We’re happy to have him Mario out here healthy and rolling here again.”
Last season, Edwards tallied two total sacks in the first two games and three in the first four. He only recorded half a sack the rest of the regular season. Edwards missed games late in the season against the Cowboys and Eagles due to injury, but returned for the season finale against the Chargers.
Playing 14 games in 2017 was a major improvement
from the two games he played in 2016. Now in a contract year, Edwards just wants to play all 16 for the first time in four years.
“I just did what I wanted to do, working on staying healthy,” Edwards said of his offseason. “I think once that happens everything else will take care of itself.”
Edwards thinks he can play defensive end, defensive tackle and nose tackle this season to showcase versatility he hasn’t yet displayed. He’s enticed by the fact Paul Guenther’s defense features the threetechnique as its penetrator, so maybe we’ll actually see Edwards consistently get into opposing backfields instead of just for the first four games.
But nothing Edwards might be able to do on the field matters unless he’s actually active on game day.
Like he said, that’s the first step, and he can only hope the results follow so he doesn’t get surpassed by two rookies.
CARR THROWS HIS FIRST INTERCEPTION
>> Take note of the fact Derek Carr’s first interception came in the first practice against an actual opponent. Lions standout cornerback Darius Slay picked him off in an 11-on11 period, and Carr was none too happy about the gaffe afterward.
At least Carr wasn’t as bad as EJ Manuel, who completed as many passes to the Lions as the number on his jersey. It might also end up being his ranking on the quarterbacks depth chart if he keeps playing like he did Tuesday. BACKFIELD BEAST >> Fullback Keith Smith showed why the Raiders signed him in free agency, cleanly paving a running lane for Marshawn Lynch while plowing over Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis. INJURY REPORT >> OUT: LT Donald Penn, DT Eddie Vanderdoes, RT Brandon Parker, RT Breno Giacomini, S Marcus Gilchrist, DB Tevin Mitchel, CB Gareon Conley, S Obi Melifonwu. Back in: S Erik Harris, S Karl Joseph, RG Gabe Jackson