DT Christian Wilkins still sidelined to begin Raiders training camp
Wilkins is expected to be a big part of the Raiders defense this season. He suffered a jones fracture in his foot early last season that sent him to injured reserve. He was expected to be back and ready for the offseason program in April, but suffered a setback that had him miss all of OTA's in May and minicamp in June, but the hope was he would be back by training camp.
The longer this lingers, the more concerning it becomes.
"This has been a difficult recovery," head coach Pete Carroll said of Wilkins' injury back in May. "And he's done everything he needs to do. He's been here every day, he's here early, working hard. We're still working it. And he's not ready to get back out there. We're in the midst of a long challenging process. Fortunately there's a lot of time and we're going to take every bit of it. We've tried to be really diligent about the way we work and the way we wanted it and all that. He's been on board the whole time. But it has been challenging."
The entire team reports to training camp on Tuesday and begins practicing on Wednesday. They will once again do so without one of their defensive stars. And who knows when he will join them.
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He was an MVP, a nine-time Pro Bowler and a Super Bowl champ. And he was so active in his community that the NFL named its service award after him. It's now called the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. Honorable Mentions: Earl Campbell, Thurman Thomas No. 35: Aeneas Williams A former college walk-on who became a Pro Football Hall of Famer, Williams was an undiscovered gem in the Southeast, where he played most of his career with the Cardinals. He was one of the greatest yet most underrated defensive backs ever, making the Pro Bowl as a corner seven times and later as a safety with the Rams. He finished his career with 55 interceptions, nine of which he returned for touchdowns. Honorable Mentions: Neal Anderson, Calvin Hill No. 36: Jerome Bettis "The Bus" was one of the most powerful and punishing running backs during his entire 13-year career, which started with the Rams in 1993 but was mostly spent with the Steelers. He ran for 13,664 career yards and 91 touchdowns and topped 1,000 yards in eight of his first nine NFL seasons. The six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro also achieved every player's career dream: winning a Super Bowl in his final game. Honorable Mentions: LeRoy Butler, Lawyer Milloy No. 37: Jimmy Johnson He spent 16 years playing defensive back in San Francisco, where he was an All-Pro five times (including three straight times on the first team from 1970-72). Johnson had at least one interception in all but one of his seasons. In fact, the only season in which he didn't pick off a pass was 1962, when the Niners played him mostly at receiver and he caught 34 passes for 627 yards. They moved him back to safety the next season, and then to cornerback. Johnson finished his career with 47 interceptions and would've had more if more quarterbacks had dared to throw to his side of the field. Honorable Mentions: Lester Hayes, Doak Walker No. 38: George Rogers You know it's a weak number when the player who gets the nod is most famous for being drafted first overall in 1981 — one spot before the Giants took Lawrence Taylor. As inglorious as that claim to fame may be, Rogers was a pretty good running back. He ran for 1,674 yards as a rookie when he was a first-team All-Pro and the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year. He had three more 1,000-yard seasons and even ran for 18 touchdowns in 1986. And hey, it wasn't his fault the Saints picked him over LT. Honorable Mentions: Eugene Daniel, Tramon Williams No. 39: Larry Csonka A bruising, powerful fullback with the Dolphins, Csonka was one of the NFL's best rushers in the 1970s. He had three 1,000-yard seasons, was a three-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler. He also won two Super Bowls with Miami, including in 1972 when he was the engine of the offense of the NFL's only undefeated team. The following season, he was the MVP of Super Bowl VIII when he ran for 145 yards and two touchdowns. Honorable Mentions: Hugh McElhenny, Stephen Jackson No. 40: Gale Sayers Sayers was so talented and explosive that some believe he might have ended up as the NFL's greatest running back and most dynamic player ever if injuries hadn't battered him throughout his career. His seven seasons with the Bears, though, were still remarkable — especially the first five when he was named All-Pro each year. He finished his career with 4,956 rushing yards and 9,435 combined yards, thanks to his prowess as a kick returner. He even won a Comeback Player of the Year Award and got MVP votes in each of his first four seasons, before his body had nothing left to give. Honorable Mentions: Elroy Hirsch, Mike Alstott No. 41: Eugene Robinson The longtime Seahawks cornerback simply outlasted a weak field at this number by playing 16 seasons and missing a total of just six games. He ended up with 57 interceptions, including a nine-interception season in 1993. He went to only three Pro Bowls and was a second-team All-Pro just once, but durability and longevity count. Honorable Mentions: Lorenzo Neal, Phil Villapiano No. 42: Ronnie Lott An All-Pro at corner (twice) and safety (six times), Lott is one of the best and hardest-hitting defensive backs in NFL history. A 49ers legend who lasted 14 seasons in the NFL, he was as disruptive as they come, with 63 career interceptions (five returned for touchdowns), 16 forced fumbles, and 17 fumble recoveries. He also anchored a San Francisco defense that won four Super Bowls during his time there in the 1980s and '90s. Honorable Mentions: Sid Luckman, Charley Taylor No. 43: Troy Polamalu One of the smartest and most instinctive safeties to ever play, this longtime Steeler was a lot more than just great hair. He was the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 2010, a six-time All-Pro and a member of Pittsburgh's All-Time Team, which isn't an easy roster for a defensive player to crack. Polamalu's 32 career interceptions don't fully tell the story of the impact of this two-time Super Bowl winner, known as "The Tasmanian Devil." Honorable Mentions: Cliff Harris, Larry Brown No. 44: John Riggins Five Hall of Famers wore this number primarily, but with all due respect to RBs Floyd Little and Leroy Kelly, and DBs Bobby Dillon and Dick LeBeau, it's hard not to picture "Riggo" rumbling through the line of scrimmage when thinking of No. 44. He wasn't flashy, but he was a powerful back, mostly for Washington. He became known for getting the toughest of yards. He topped 1,000 yards in only five of his 14 seasons, but he always saved his best for the postseason. He had 996 yards and 12 touchdowns in nine career playoff games. And he was the MVP of Super Bowl XVII with a then-record 166 yards, including a game-sealing, 43-yard touchdown run that is a staple of highlight reels. Honorable Mentions: Floyd Little, Dick LeBeau No. 45: Emlen Tunnell A remarkable safety who was the key cog in the Giants' famed "Umbrella defense" of the 1950s, Tunnell was the first African-American player elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was a dynamic defensive back with a nose for the ball, intercepting 79 passes in his 14 seasons. He was a six-time All-Pro with the Giants, too. And it was his longevity that gave him the nod over fellow Hall of Fame safety Kenny Easley, who had a stellar career in Seattle. Honorable Mentions: Kenny Easley, Gary Fencik No. 46: Tim McDonald It was a close call between the Cardinals/49ers safety and Todd Christensen, the longtime Raiders tight end. But McDonald was at his best for a much longer span, starting almost every game in 12 of his 13 NFL seasons from 1987-99. A stellar ball-hawk, McDonald went to six Pro Bowls and was named an All-Pro four times. He won a Super Bowl with a loaded defensive backfield in San Francisco, too. Christensen had an unbelievable run for a tight end, averaging 87 catches for 1,099 yards from 1983-86, but those four All-Pro seasons were outliers in his career. Honorable Mentions: Todd Christensen, Herm Edwards No. 47: Mel Blount Blount, the longtime Steelers cornerback, gets the nod over Hall of Fame safety John Lynch for helping Pittsburgh win four Super Bowl championships in the 1970s. Blount was the Defensive Player of the Year in 1975, was a four-time All-Pro and finished his 14-year career with 57 interceptions. Like Lynch, Blount also ended up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Honorable Mentions: John Lynch, Joey Browner No. 48: Les Richter The only Hall of Famer to ever wear this number, Richter played linebacker and offensive line for the Rams from 1954-62. He went to the Pro Bowl in every season but his last and was named an All-Pro five times. Plus, he was the Rams' placekicker early in his career. What he was most remembered for, though, was his toughness. He didn't miss any of the 112 games in his career, even playing through two broken cheekbones suffered five weeks apart in 1961. Honorable Mentions: Stephen Davis, Ken Ellis No. 49: Bobby Mitchell Mitchell began his career as the backfield mate of Jim Brown in Cleveland before becoming a historical figure when he was traded to Washington. The U.S. government was pressuring owner George Marshall to integrate his team. So in 1962, after drafting running back Ernie Davis first overall and balking at his salary demands, Marshall traded Davis' rights to Cleveland for Mitchell, who became Washington's first African-American player. He thrived outside of Brown's shadow, leading the NFL in rushing with 1,384 and 1,436 yards in each of his first two seasons. Overall, Mitchell had 7,954 yards and 65 touchdowns in his 11-year, Hall of Fame career. Honorable Mentions: Dennis Smith, Tony Richardson Our four-part series continues on Wednesday, July 30, with the greatest players in NFL history to wear Nos. 50-74. Ralph Vacchiano is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He spent the previous six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him on Twitter at @RalphVacchiano . Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily. recommended Item 1 of 3 Get more from the National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
