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The jury is still out on whether New Orleans Saints fans will see wide receiver Michael Thomas battle through an ankle injury to suit up in Week 2 against the Las Vegas Raiders, but the team released updates on practice participation for several players on Friday.
Chief among them is wideout Emmanuel Sanders, who is expected to step into the WR1 role for New Orleans while Thomas is sidelined. Sanders was given a day of veteran’s rest during Thursday’s practice before returning for a full day’s work, and he’s on track to see a lot of targets in Monday’s kickoff.
Additionally, things are progressing well for rookie guard/center Cesar Ruiz. The team’s first-round draft pick went down with his own ankle injury late in training camp, but he practiced again on Friday. If he can turn in a full session on Saturday, he should be able to make his debut at right guard (where backup Nick Easton filled in for Week 1).
On the other side of this game, Raiders rookie receiver Henry Ruggs III did not practice on Friday after also missing Thursday’s session with a knee injury. He was an electric addition to the Las Vegas offense in this year’s draft and immediately made a splash in the season opener; if he can’t play on Monday, it would mean a big step back for the thin Raiders receiving corps.
Right tackle is another situation to monitor closely for the Raiders. High-priced free agent pickup Trent Brown did not return to practice after being injured in Week 1, and his backup Sam Young is also dealing with an injury. That puts guard Denzelle Good on track to start in their place against All-Pro Saints pass rusher Cameron Jordan, which is something of a mismatch.
From the Saints
| Player | Sept. 17 | Sept. 18 | Sept. 19 | Sept. 20 | Game Status |
| DE Marcus Davenport (elbow) | DNP | DNP | TBD | ||
| WR Michael Thomas (ankle) | DNP | DNP | TBD | ||
| WR Emmanuel Sanders (not injury related) | DNP | Full | TBD | ||
| G/C Cesar Ruiz (ankle) | Limited | Full | TBD | ||
| S P.J. Williams (hamstring) | Full | Full | TBD | ||
| LB Chase Hansen (hip) | Limited | TBD |
From the Raiders
| Player, injury | Sept. 17 | Sept. 18 | Sept. 19 | Sept. 20 | Game Status |
| CB Damon Arnette (wrist/thumb) | Full | Full | TBD | ||
| T Trent Brown (calf) | DNP | DNP | TBD | ||
| C Rodney Hudson (not injury related) | DNP | TBD | TBD | ||
| RB Josh Jacobs (ankle) | Full | Full | TBD | ||
| DE Arden Key (knee) | Full | Full | TBD | ||
| LB Nick Kwiatkoski (pectoral) | DNP | DNP | TBD | ||
| WR Henry Ruggs III (knee) | DNP | DNP | TBD | ||
| TE Jason Witten (not injury related) | DNP | TBD | TBD | ||
| T Sam Young (groin) | DNP | DNP | TBD |
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