Latest news with #Raiders'
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Predicting Position Battle Winners at 2025 Las Vegas Raiders Training Camp, Including at WR2
On Tuesday, the Las Vegas Raiders started Day 1 of training camp as a mostly whole group. Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins is still recovering from a Jones fracture. On a positive note, he was seen moving around without a walking boot in a video shared by wide receiver Alex Bachman on Instagram. As for healthy Raiders who will be on the practice field, several will battle for starting positions. Pete Carroll leads a new regime, so players with undefined roles have opportunities to impress new coaches who will make tough roster decisions late in August. In the spirit of what will be a competitive training camp in Henderson, Nevada, here's an in-depth breakdown of the Raiders' top position battles, with early projections for who wins them this summer. Starting cornerbacks Fifth-year veteran Eric Stokes and rookie third-rounder Darien Porter took most of the snaps with the first-team defense through the spring as Jakorian Bennett worked his way back into shape with the second unit. Bennett has more than enough time to shine and reclaim a starting role. As a starter in seven out of 10 games last season, he recorded eight pass breakups while allowing a 67.7 passer rating in coverage. More importantly, Bennett didn't surrender a touchdown on 44 targets. If healthy, Bennett is the Raiders' best cornerback, which isn't saying much given the inexperience at the position and Stokes' spotty availability between 2022 and 2023 with the Green Bay Packers. Nonetheless, Bennett should have a bounce-back stretch that gives him a good chance to start Week 1. Porter's upside may be too intriguing for the Raiders to bring him along slowly as a backup. Bennett and Porter start on the boundary, while Stokes serves in a reserve role as veteran insurance. Winners: Jakorian Bennett and Darien Porter Starting guards Like the boundary cornerback spots, both starting guard positions are open for competition. Yet Alex Cappa is the front-runner for the lead role on the right side, where he took most of the first-team reps in the spring. The Athletic's Tashan Reed believes that Cappa is the only acquisition along the offensive line who will see 'significant playing time' on the field in the upcoming term. Cappa has taken all 6,690 career snaps at right guard. The eighth-year veteran's experience will work in his favor unless rookie third-rounder Caleb Rogers has a standout showing through training camp and the preseason. According to Pro Football Focus, Cappa allowed 51 pressures and eight sacks while on the field for 774 pass-blocking snaps in 2024. If that trend continues, the Raiders should make in-season adjustments at guard. Dylan Parham enters a crucial fourth year on a rookie deal that expires in 2026. He may be in a tough spot if Cappa starts at right guard. In three seasons, Parham has played all three positions on the interior, though mostly at left guard. Last season, he took 882 snaps at right guard, per Pro Football Focus. Also Read:: 3x Pro Bowl Defender Signs with Las Vegas Raiders As a college senior in 2021, Parham allowed only two quarterback hits and didn't surrender a sack while on the field for 545 pass-blocking snaps as a starting right guard at Memphis. If he doesn't beat out Cappa for the lead spot on the right side, the Raiders may want to see more of Meredith after his solid showing at left guard last season. In 2024, Meredith didn't allow a sack while on the field for 399 pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus. In Weeks 7 and 8, he started at right guard and switched to left guard between Weeks 9 and 15. This offseason, Las Vegas retained Meredith as an exclusive rights free agent, and he could pull off an upset over Parham to win the left guard position with an impressive summer. Winners: Jordan Meredith (left guard) and Alex Cappa (right guard) Wide receiver No. 2 Based on spring reports out of OTAs and mandatory minicamp, rookie fourth-rounder Dont'e Thornton made a stronger initial impression than second-rounder Jack Bech, who signed his rookie deal a day after the Raiders' 2025 draft class reported to camp. At 6'5″ with blazing speed, Thornton looks the part of a big playmaker, though he must carry his spring momentum through summer padded practices. Now signed and ready to focus on the field, Bech can show off his versatility as a slot and boundary receiver. Bech lined up mainly in the slot for two collegiate terms at LSU and one year at TCU, but he broke out as an outside receiver, hauling in 62 passes for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns last season. Also Read:: Three Key Questions Facing Raiders Rookies in Training Camp Bech and Jakobi Meyers have interchangeable skill sets in terms of where they can line up before the snap. Because of that, the TCU product could see more snaps than Thornton to open the season. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly could feature Meyers, Bech, and Thornton in three-receiver sets, which would leave question marks about Tre Tucker's role in the passing game. Bech wins the No. 2 receiver spot as an inside-outside threat, and Thornton gets on the field for three-receiver sets (11 personnel). As a result, Tucker garners trade buzz. Winner: Jack Bech Maurice Moton covers the Raiders for Sportsnaut. You can follow him on Twitter at @MoeMoton.
USA Today
10 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Should the Raiders trade CB Jakorian Bennett?
New Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll are still sorting through the roster they inherited from the previous regime. Certain holdovers have no place in the starting lineup Carroll is trying to formulate. One of the players apparently losing influence is cornerback Jakorian Bennett. The Raiders have a lot of questions at cornerback. Spytek signed 2021 first-round bust Eric Stokes in free agency. Stokes appears to be a reclamation project for the Raiders, and he's consistently worked as a starting corner at training camp thus far. The other starting cornerback spot may be decided between Decamerion Richardson and third-round rookie Darien Porter. Meanwhile Bennett has been all over the depth chart, working with the first, second, and third-string defense at times this offseason. The Raiders are reconstructing their secondary, and Bennett may be the odd man out. Bennett played legitimately well before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury last year. The former Maryland standout had a coverage grade of 61.0 last season, per Pro Football Focus. Bennett allowed a quarterback passer rating of just 62.8 on targeted passes thrown in his direction. Bennett appeared to be a young asset for the Raiders' defense, but the arrival of Carroll and Spytek has possibly changed things. The 5-foot-11 Bennett may not fit the size profile Carroll usually prefers in cornerbacks. The Raiders should continue evaluating his fit in their defense before doing anything rash like trading him.
NBC Sports
5 days ago
- Health
- NBC Sports
Right to second opinion could become issue in Christian Wilkins's case
As the Raiders and former Raiders defensive tackle Christian Wilkins embark on a legal fight over whether the team properly voided his remaining guarantees before cutting him, one key question will be whether his foot injury required another surgery — and whether he should have submitted to it. Hovering over that issue will be his absolute right to a second opinion. From Article 39, Section 6 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement: 'A player will have the opportunity to obtain a second medical opinion. As a condition of the Club's responsibility for the costs of medical services rendered by the physician furnishing the second opinion, such physician must be board-certified in his field of medical expertise; in addition, (a) the player must consult with the Club physician in advance concerning the other physician; and (b) the Club physician must be furnished promptly with a report concerning the diagnosis, examination and course of treatment recommended by the other physician. A player shall have the right to follow the reasonable medical advice given to him by his second opinion physician with respect to diagnosis of injury, surgical and treatment decisions, and rehabilitation and treatment protocol, but only after consulting with the Club physician and giving due consideration to his recommendations.' In this context, if the Raiders' doctor concluded that Wilkins needed another procedure to repair the Jones fracture in his foot and Wilkins obtained a second opinion to the contrary, Wilkins had the right to follow that advice. The fact that the CBA is so clear on this point suggests that the Raiders will have something else to use. Or maybe they simply decided to roll the dice. If they owe him the money anyway, what's the harm in throwing something/anything against the wall and hoping it sticks? That applies to anything relating to his foot injury, or anything else they may be able to use against him in an effort to avoid paying him more than $35 million — on top of the $49.7 million he already has earned.
New York Times
24-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Raiders training camp: Chip Kelly, offense ready for the pads to come on
HENDERSON, Nev. — Chip Kelly is ready for contact. When asked to assess various elements of the Las Vegas Raiders offense, the coordinator repeatedly noted that he couldn't make full evaluations until pads come on next week. 'Pads — I'll go back to that one,' Kelly said for about the 10th time during his news conference Thursday. 'I've seen guys look great, and then all of a sudden you put pads on and you're like, 'Where did he go?'' Advertisement Running back Ashton Jeanty is also itching for the sessions to get more physical. He has been able to work on his receiving skills, fundamentals and knowledge of the offense, but wearing shorts, he can't show what makes him truly special. 'As a running back, it's really when we put the pads on,' Jeanty said. 'I'll let that happen when it happens.' Turn him up!#RaiderNation — Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) July 23, 2025 And don't forget about the defense. 'We haven't even put pads on yet,' linebacker Elandon Roberts said. 'When the pads come on, then we'll start seeing what we got.' The Raiders' sessions in Week 1 of training camp still hold value, particularly for the offense as Kelly continues to install his complex system. Still, the players are starting to get excited about what it'll look like by the time the season gets here. 'Oh my gosh, I love Chip Kelly's offense,' receiver Tre Tucker said Wednesday. 'He's very good at putting guys in the right spot to succeed. I feel like, sometimes, people can just put people places and expect you to run a certain thing. But he's more of a players guy, not a plays guy. 'And it's just an explosive offense, man. … We're just breaking it in. But you guys will see. Over camp, it's going to pick up, and it's very explosive.' On the flip side, Kelly is getting to know his players and tweaking his system to optimize their abilities. Having a talented quarterback in Geno Smith has allowed him to be creative in that process. 'The beauty is that the guy pulling the trigger can run everything,' Kelly said. 'If we're with Geno and say, 'Hey, we'd like to do this,' he can do it. Whether it be quick game, he can do it. With throwing the deep ball, he can do it. With the intermediate parts, he can do that. He's got so much experience. To have a veteran quarterback there is such a comforting feeling.' Advertisement Here are more observations from practice on Thursday. • Dont'e Thornton is getting more comfortable and has stood out among the rookie receivers. He has been a constant in the starting lineup. 'He's done a really nice job — and (receiver coach) Chris Beatty does a great job with him — in terms of picking up our offense,' Kelly said. 'He's been sharp. And I know it's comforting for Geno knowing he's got someone that fast and that tall out there who's a big body to throw to.' Jack Bech has also started to rotate in with the starters as an outside receiver. He came along slowly during OTAs but is starting to get more comfortable. 'For all those guys, it's just really truly understanding the offense,' Kelly said. 'It's just him getting more comfortable in our scheme. … He's sharp and he's picking things up, but him and Dont'e and Ashton, they're still rookies.' • New arrival Jamal Adams was working with the linebackers on Thursday. The 29-year-old has played safety most of his career, but he doesn't have the same speed or athleticism he once did after suffering multiple significant leg injuries. At this point, Adams' skill set is best used operating primarily in the box. He has the size and strength to be an effective run stopper and blitzer as a weakside linebacker. 'It'll be second nature for him to walk down in the box with the 'backers,' Roberts said. 'He's an instinctual guy. He's got stuff you can't teach.' Even if the Raiders don't use Adams as a traditional deep safety, though, he'll still need to improve what he's put on tape in recent years in pass coverage to hang. During team drills, he was working with the second- and third-team defenses. Roberts and Devin White have continued to be the primary starters at linebacker. Germaine Pratt, who signed right before the end of OTAs, is working in slowly as he learns defensive coordinator Patrick Graham's scheme. • Offensive lineman Thayer Munford returned to practice Thursday after missing Wednesday's session due to the birth of his child. He was working at guard, which he started to do toward the end of OTAs. The Raiders tweaked their starting offensive line Thursday, with Jordan Meredith handing center duties over to Jackson Powers-Johnson. Meredith started games at guard last year, but he also has experience at center. Advertisement The rest of the starting O-line remained the same with Kolton Miller at left tackle, Dylan Parham at left guard, Alex Cappa at right guard and DJ Glaze at right tackle. The Raiders are likely getting Meredith more reps to get him comfortable working with Smith and to protect themselves in case of injury. 'You're only going to have seven or eight guys (active) on game day,' Kelly said. 'They've got to be able to go no matter who goes down.' Powers-Johnson held down center duties with the second-team offense. It'd take a major development for him not to be the starter for the Raiders, but he's behaving as if that's not guaranteed. 'I'm just trying to earn it every day,' Powers-Johnson said. 'Nothing's been given to me.' • Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins (foot/physically unable to perform list) was the only player who missed practice Thursday. • Cornerback Decamerion Richardson got a notable number of reps with the starters on Thursday. He struggled as a rookie but has looked solid during practices. He's tall, long and fast, so he fits what coach Pete Carroll looks for at corner. He has a lot of potential if he can put it all together. • Tyree Wilson spent a lot of time with the starting defense lined up as a defensive tackle. He has rotated inside throughout his career, so that isn't new, but the Raiders could use him there more often if Wilkins misses time.
USA Today
19-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
We hit 50 in our Raiders countdown to kickoff. Who wore it best and who's wearing it now
We've reached 50 days until the Raiders season opener at Foxboro against the Patriots, With our countdown at 50 days we take a look at who currently dons the number in Silver & Black and who has brought it the most distinction. No. 50 Who's wearing it now: LS Jacob Bobenmoyer Bobenmoyer enters his third season as the Raiders' longsnapper. He had spent the first three seasons of his career in the same position with the Broncos. Who wore it best: C Dave Dalby When original Raider Jim Otto retired after the 1974 season, the Raiders already had the next man up on the roster. Dalby stepped in at center and remained there for the next 11 years. All three Super Bowl winning teams lined up with Dalby touching the ball first. When he retired after the 1985 season, the Raiders had just starting centers in franchise's 26-year history.
