Tag: Dylan Laube

When it comes to kick and punt returns Raiders have good problem

When it comes to kick and punt returns Raiders have good problem

One position on the Raiders roster that doesn’t get discussed much, but probably should be is return specialist. It has become one of the more deep positions on the team, with several very good options to line up there.

Last season, the Raiders had one return specialist. One. It was DeAndre Carter who is no longer on the team. He returned both kicks and punts.

This year, those duties could go to as many as five different players on the team.

If you look at the depth chart on the Raiders website, they have Ameer Abdullah, DJ Turner, and Dylan Laube listed as kick returners and Tre Tucker and Abdullah as punt returners.

It was Abdullah who was the team’s primary kick returner back in 2022, which explains his spot atop the depth chart. Turner returned a few kicks and punts that season as well. Tucker was originally drafted for his speed and was electric returning punts this preseason. And Laube was drafted this year in part because the team hoped he would be a a good fit for the new kickoff rules. Though he didn’t show much in preseason.

The funny thing is, though, it may be that none of them are the team’s primary return specialist this season. That job could go to former CFLer Tyreik McAllister.

“I remember the first time Tyreik caught a punt return and it wasn’t even a full cover,” Abdullah recalled. “He just went along his track and he was just dat-dat-dat-dat-dat. His feet was just kinda like the Roadrunner. I was like ‘that dude can spin’. And to see it in live action, it just shows that it translates. I think the world of him.”

When Abdullah says it translates, he’s speaking of McCallister’s 81-yard punt return for a touchdown in the team’s preseason finale against the 49ers while averaging 30 yards per kick return in the preseason opener in Minnesota

McAllister put up return records last season with the CFL’s Hamilton Tigercats. The Raiders brought him in for that reason and he was a mainstay with the return specialists throughout the offseason and camp. The skills he put on display in the CFL showed up big time for the Raiders and earned him a place on the Raiders roster.

This does present a bit of a dilemma, though, for head coach Antonio Pierce.

McAllister lit up two of the preseason games on kicks and punts and Tucker showed off his speed with a 43-yard punt return in the second preseason game against the Cowboys. So, who gets the job come the season? That’s a good problem to have. And it sounds like the team is leaning toward McAllister.

“One is cool. Two’s better,” Pierce said of picking between Tucker and McAllister. “I mean, to be honest, McAllister’s role on offense is still to be determined, but we know what he can do. We’ve all seen that, and he did that even as a kickoff returner. . . And we got to be smart, right? Tre Tucker is one of our starting receivers, so McAllister has a role. I don’t know, is it this guy this week? Is it that guy? Is it the hot hand? But I think both guys have done an outstanding job now in the return game. I think we’ve seen that both as punt returners, and McAllister punt return and kickoff return.”

Tucker is impressing the team more and more as a receiver, so it could be smart to keep him focused on that. And with the depth they clearly have at return specialist, along with McAllister’s return talents, they have the luxury of making that decision.

Raiders winners and losers in 24-24 preseason tie vs. 49ers

The Raiders closed the preseason with a tie, even though Las Vegas played its reserves against 49ers starters. Who stood out the most?

The Raiders preseason finally came to a close on Friday night in a 24-24 tie against the 49ers in Las Vegas, as coach Antonio Pierce sat his starters while the 49ers played many of their stars, including quarterback Brock Purdy. Still, the Raiders’ reserves held their own, especially on defense.

The Las Vegas offense was without its top two quarterbacks and struggled early, but the Raiders’ special teams had a big day. Tyreik McAllister took an 81-yard punt return to the house for the Raiders’ first score of the night, and he added a touchdown catch later in the game for good measure.

McAllister was easily the biggest winner of the night. Here are the rest of the players who stood out this week, for better or worse.

Winner: DE Janarius Robinson

Before we get to McAllister’s big day, defensive end Janarious Robinson deserves his due. He had a tackle for loss on the 49ers’ first drive, helping the Raiders hold the San Francisco starting offense to a field goal.

Robinson led a strong pass rush for Las Vegas and pressured Purdy into a second-quarter interception. He was a lock to make the roster coming into this game and his pass-rush ability provides key depth up front.

Winner: WR Tyreik McAllister

The Raiders have been looking for depth at wide receiver and McAllister made a statement on Friday night. A former star in the Canadian Football League, McAllister scored the Raiders first points of the night on an 81-yard punt return.

His touchdown catch was equally impressive, perhaps even more so. He made an athletic adjustment on a throw by QB Carter Bradley.

It’s hard to say whether McAllister will make the Raiders’ final cut. But his chances are certainly much higher after this performance.

Winner: DBs Sam Webb and Chris Smith II

The Raiders reserves had the last laugh against Purdy, who made his share of splash plays. On Purdy’s final snap of the game, pressure from Robinson forced a throw into tight coverage by Raiders cornerback Sam Webb. Webb tipped the ball in the air, and safety Chris Smith II was in perfect position to intercept the ball.

Winner: LB Amari Gainer

Linebacker Amari Gainer made his case to remain a Raider with his play on defense and special teams. He recorded an impressive special teams tackle early in the game and finished with more than 10 tackles on defense, including two tackles for loss. He had a late penalty for a hit to the head, but that hardly put a damper on his day.

Winner: WR Kristian Wilkerson

Though he didn’t have the day McAllister did, WR Kristian Wilkerson gave the Raiders brass more to think about on cut-down day with his touchdown grab from quarterback Nathan Peterman.

Loser: RB Dylan Laube

Rookie running back Dylan Laube got the starting nod on Friday and appeared primed for his breakout moment. For a minute, he did break out. But after several impressive plays, he was belted by a 49ers defender after a nice catch and run. He fumbled the football and didn’t see action at running back for the rest of the game.

Laube still got some touches on special teams, which probably helped sustain his confidence. He’ll need it if he wants to contribute to the Raiders offense this season.

Loser: WR Jalen Guyton

Wide receiver Jalen Guyton had to make an impact on Friday to make the roster, and while he had some key catches on the Raiders’ touchdown drive to close the first half, he was outdone by McAllister and Wilkerson.

This game was a reversal from the Raiders’ loss against the Cowboys last week when Las Vegas starters faced Dallas backups. The Raiders reserves responded, and now it’s time for coach Pierce and crew to shape their final roster. Soon enough, we’ll see what this Raiders team is really made of when they face the Chargers in Week 1.

5 Raiders Offensive Players to watch in Preseason finale vs 49ers

The final preseason game will be the battle of those trying to fight their way up the depth chart and fight their way onto the roster. In that spirit, keep an eye on these five players on the offensive side of the ball.

The final preseason game will be the battle of those trying to fight their way up the depth chart and fight their way onto the roster. In that spirit, keep an eye on these five players on the offensive side of the ball.

A few years ago, Peterman was that player on the Raiders who they just couldn’t quit. He spent nearly four years with the team as the most non-threatening backup ever. Just the way Derek Carr needed him to be. Hence why he joined Carr with the Saints this past offseason. But even they ended up releasing him.

Now he’s back, reuniting with Luke Getsy who was his OC in Chicago for two seasons. Could be see Peterman take the field to start this game? It’s possible. If Getsy thinks Peterman has acclimated to the team enough over the past couple weeks since he arrived. And, more importantly, has Peterman improved at all since the last we saw him suit up for the Raiders?

The rookie back has yet to live up to the training camp hype with his preseason play. Often times players step up in the games after not showing much in practice. Antonio Pierce has said that won’t impress him much. But you’d have to figure the other must be true as well. He needs to show up in the preseason too. Not just against his teammates when they’re no allowed to tackle him to the ground.

Turner has been turning heads in both practice and in games. Every play he makes, he earns more and more confidence that he can be a serious weapon in this offense as well as on special teams.

The former Chargers speedster came over because he played under Tom Telesco for four seasons. But he hasn’t shown much. First he was injured through much of camp and now he just hasn’t stood out. He needs to do something in this game if he wants to get off the roster bubble.

This could be the longest look we have gotten so far of Glaze at right tackle. Despite looking good in camp, it has continued to be Thayer Munford who has taken the field as the team’s starter through the first two preseason games.

Raiders rookie RB Dylan Laube has already earned hilarious nickname from teammates

Dylan Laube has earned a pretty hilarious nickname from his Raiders teammates

Raiders rookie running back Dylan Laube has become a pretty popular player on the Raiders already. The coaches seem to think very highly of him and his potential to contribute right away. And his teammates are seeing his personality is fitting in as well.

Last week, prior to leaving Southern California where they held the first two weeks of training camp, the team took a trip to the beach. Laube put on a pretty entertaining performance as part of the rookie show, but before that he put on an even better performance by doing a spot on impression of teammate Maxx Crosby.

Crosby got a kick out of it, as did the rest of the Raiders team assembled there. Laube has even earned a pretty awesome nickname.

“I love Cheddar Bob. That’s my guy,” Crosby said, speaking of Laube. “That’s what we call him. That’s Cheddar Bob. From 8-mile, that’s him. He’s a stud. He’s been doing a great job and anytime he picks one at me, he gets a little pass for now.”

For those unfamiliar, this is Cheddar Bob from 8-mile. His part of the scene starts about a minute in (Warning: strong language).

Having spoken with Laube, this nickname is pretty good. And you can see why they call him that. Though, it’s probably not altogether one of those nicknames you want to follow you around forever.

Busters for Raiders Preseason Week 1 vs Vikings

Raiders who didn’t make a great impression in their Preseason opener vs Vikings

There were many standout performances for the Raiders in their preseason opener in Minnesota. These are the wrong kind of standouts.

Busters

T Andrus Peat 

The nice looking first drive was ended when Peat couldn’t keep Dallas Turner out of the backfield. First Turner laid a hard hit on O’Connell just after he released the ball. Then in third and goal from the three, Turner beat Peat again to sack O’Connell.

DT Byron Young

Young was abused on the first three plays he was in the game. He gave up a seven-yard run, then was blocked into the ground to give up the first down run, and then gave up a 16-yard run that only saved from being much worse because of a Tre’von Moehrig ankle tackle.

S Jaydon Grant

The defense bent but didn’t break on their first two drives. They broke on the third one. Grant was late getting over to give up a 48-yard touchdown run. The next drive, Grant gave up a 21-yard catch.

LB Luke Masterson

Grant was the last line of defense on that 48-yard TD run. Masterson was the first. That was his gap and he wasn’t there. The next drive, he came on the blitz on third and five but missed the sack to give up a nine-yard scramble.

RB Dylan Laube

Laube was twice needed to keep an oncoming rusher from getting to the QB, and both times failed to do so. He gave up two sacks on Brown. The second time, Laube was sent into a backward somersault. Laube had a total of eight yards rushing in the game and that came on a 13-yard run on third and 19. So, it was a give up play. On the other three runs, he had a total of -5 yards. His one return went for 16 yards and was stopped at the 19-yard-line.

QB Anthony Brown

From the moment he took the field, he looked out of his depth. He looked paralyzed, second guessing everything. Nothing looked smooth and he was unable to make corrections when things broke down. And they were breaking down. The first six plays featured no completions, two sacks and a delay of game penalty. In his four possessions, he had one completion for 24 yards, five scrambles for 13 yards, was sacked four times, and fumbled a snap.

S Trey Taylor

The Vikings scored touchdowns on their first two possessions of the third quarter. The first saw Taylor give up a 15-yard catch on third and nine. The second, Taylor was caught peeking in the backfield as his man ran by him for a wide open 33-yard touchdown.

G Corey Luciano

Luciano gave up the second sack on Brown when he didn’t switch on a stunt. Then he gave up the third sack in the same fashion.

C Ben Brown

After the Raiders went down 21-20 in the third quarter, they failed to answer because Brown was flagged for holding and then on third and 21, while Luciano was not switching up on the stunt, Brown was literally ran right by the guy, blocking no one.

TE Zach Gentry

Twice in the third quarter Gentry was tasked with run blocking and gave up the stuff. The first for no gain. The second for a loss of four on third and goal from the one.

Also see the BALLERS…

Raiders preseason Week 1 vs Vikings: What to watch for

What to watch for in Raiders preseason opener in Minnesota

It’s game day. For the first time in over seven months, the Raiders take the field for a game. This first outing is their preseason opener in Minnesota.

The game will air on NFL Network at 1pm Pacific (3pm local, 4pm ET). You can see all the details of how to watch here.

For that, here are a few things to watch for.

Quarterback competition

This is the number one reason to tune in by a wide margin. Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell will each get a quarter of play. Antonio Pierce has not revealed who will take the field first, but the order will be flipped next week when the face the Cowboys in Las Vegas.

What does matter here is we could get to see one QB against Vikings starters and the other against backups and fringe players. As in most cases the expected starters play very little in the first preseason matchup, if at all.

This competition has been raging on through training camp and to anyone watching, Minshew has a clear lead between the two, if only a slight one. It’s not decisive, which is why O’Connell still has a chance to come charging back in the competition with his play in preseason and the remaining practices before the season begins.

Rookie standouts

Raiders fans are no doubt excited to get to see 13th overall pick Brock Bowers take the field for the first time. There are obviously high hopes for the decorated tight end out of Georgia and Napa California native. 

The rest of the class has some guys hoping to continue their fine play from the camp in the preseason. Including Round three tackle DJ Glaze, Round four cornerback Decamerion Richardson, Round five linebacker Tommy Eichenberg, Round six running back Dylan Laube, round seven CB MJ Devonshire, and undrafted receiver Ramel Keyton.

Kick returns

This year the kick returner job is far more exciting due to the new kickoff rules.For that reason, it will be very interesting to see how the Raiders handle it and specifically *who* handles it. The previously mentioned Dylan Laube figures to find a role there, but others have gotten work there as well, including Ameer Abdullah and even cornerback Jack Jones.

As far as how Daniel Carlson changes his kicking strategy, I would be surprised if he reveals much about that in this game. Best to keep it status quo before the games count. Gotta keep Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers guessing until the season opener.

Next men up

Often times the entrenched starters won’t play in the preseason opener. But some will not play for other reasons. Left tackle Kolton Miller is on the PUP list, as is rookie left guard Jackson Powers-Johnson. Davante Adams was absent the last week of camp because he was home in Las Vegas awaiting the birth of his child.

Stepping up for those three will be three veterans: Andrus Peat (LT), Cody Whitehair (LG), and Kristian Wilkerson (WR).

Other game coverage:

How to watch Raiders preseason Week 2 vs Vikings

5 Raiders battles to watch on offense in preseason opener in Minnesota

5 Raiders battles to watch on offense in preseason opener in Minnesota

9 players who opened some eyes at Raiders camp

Raiders preseason opener will be ‘very telling’ in QB competition

Breaking down Raiders first unofficial depth chart of preseason

Winners from Raiders training camp scrimmage

WATCH: Raiders rookie Dylan Laube does hilariously perfect Maxx Crosby impression

WATCH: Raiders rookie Dylan Laube does hilariously perfect Maxx Crosby impression

The Raiders ended their training camp in Costa Mesa with a trip to the beach for a walk-thru…and some extracurricular stuff as well. Part of the antics were provided by rookie running back Dylan Laube who showed his comedy chops with a spot on and hilarious Maxx Crosby impression.

Laube is clearly a real character, which means he is fitting right in with this Raiders team of characters. Crosby being one of those characters who was in hysterics watching the rookie imitate his on field energy and pass rush technique.

Safe to say the team bonding was accomplished with this beach excursion. You love to see it.

Dylan Laube felt since first day of Raiders camp ‘I truly belong here’

Dylan Laube felt since first day of Raiders camp ‘I truly belong here’

There’s a reason you may have heard the name Dylan Laube a few times through the first week of Raiders training camp. And it isn’t just because people like to talk about rookies and their potential. He’s been doing work out there on the field in a lot of different areas.

Even though the Raiders selected him in the draft, they waited until the sixth round to pull the trigger. And that’s because playing at a small school comes with questions about the level of competition and therefore how well what you see on film will translate to the pros. It became clear to his coaches quickly that he is answering that question in the affirmative.

“It’s translating,” Antonio Pierce said of his rookie running back. “Sometimes you watch film in college and you say ‘well, the guy played at New Hampshire. Can he do that in the NFL?’ Then you come out here and it’s like wow. Nine on seven? Wooh? Pops. Blitz pickup? Wooh. Catching the ball out the backfield? He’s working. The thing about it is it’s not flashy. If you don’t really watch practice closely, you might miss him. But if you really watch his body of work…he’s getting his opportunity and he’s making the most out of it.”

Rookies often talk about their biggest strides coming when the game ‘slows down’’ for them. Usually that comes with learning the playbook and the scheme. 

For that Laube reached out to some players he knew who played in the league and they imparted upon him how to best prepare for his first time facing NFL competition.

“When you step on this field you don’t know what to truly expect,” Laube said. “The first day of camp was my first day when I was like I truly belong here. And it’s been all business since. So, yeah, it’s been fun.”

It has showed on the practice field obviously. He gets a good deal of work with the second team, surpassing several other backs who have been with the team and are trying to break on the roster. He even seems to be getting some pass catching duties out the backfield that were previously reserved for Ameer Abdullah. And don’t think Abdullah hasn’t noticed.

“The young guy Dylan Laube, he’s bringing the spark every time he gets the ball,” said Abdullah. “He’s a very special guy.”

Laube shows an understanding of the blocking and often finds the creases and push through tackles for extra yardage. Those instincts show up on run plays and in his duties in kick returns. 

His coaches have shown a level of confidence in him you don’t often see with a late round rookie. From the looks of things, Laube at very least has the inside track on the primary kick return job. And at most he could have an early role as a receiver out of the backfield and get a handful of carries.

Could Raiders RB Dylan Laube earn the No. 2 running back job in camp?

Could Raiders RB Dylan Laube earn the No. 2 running back job in camp?

Zamir White is the clear-cut starter at running back entering training camp for the Raiders. The organization couldn’t be any more excited about his potential going into Year 3. However, there are a lot of questions behind him and who will be his primary backup.

The expectation is that Alexander Mattison will be White’s primary backup, but that isn’t set in stone. Mattison signed a one-year deal this offseason, but he has averaged under 4.0 yards per carry in each of the last three seasons, opening the door for someone else to take that job.

In a recent article by Pro Football Focus, they named one rookie for each team that could make a big impact during training camp. For the Raiders, that was none other than Dylan Laube from New Hampshire. Here is why they believe he could win the No. 2 job in camp:

Several rookies are expected to step up for the Raiders in 2024, but perhaps no one has more to gain based on current depth chart positions than Laube. While the New Hampshire product finds himself fourth in Las Vegas’ running back pecking order, he has a clear path to significant snaps after the Raiders let star Josh Jacobs walk in free agency.

Zamir White, Alexander Mattison and Ameer Abdullah are all capable backs, but Laube is a Swiss Army knife. Whatever the Raiders need of him, he can provide — blocking, rushing or receiving. He posted a 90th-percentile PFF receiving grade and an 89th-percentile yards-per-route-run figure in 2023. Special teams could be the sixth-rounder’s calling early in his NFL career.

Laube might already be the best receiver of the group and his ability to win in the passing game would mesh well with White. If the Raiders want a passing-down back, Laube would be the best option. He could have a Jalen Richard type of impact in the NFL and that is what the Raiders are searching for in their No. 2 back.

But just how quickly will Laube rise up the depth chart? It depends on how he performs in camp. But so far, so good for the rookie running back. Keep an eye on him during the remainder of camp and preseason as he competes for a role on the offense.

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Raiders 2024 camp position battle: Return specialist

New special teams rules makes for a very interesting battle for Raiders return specialists.

Kick returns this season are going to be a whole new experience. One that may require a whole new breed of return specialists. Punt returns should stay relatively the same. But there could still be a battle for who gets that job this season.

The new kickoff rules are such that neither team moves until the ball lands. So, there will be no running start for the coverage team. That means the previous ideas of what a kick returner will look like have changed.

It becomes a new job with a new set of skills that should be more akin to that of a running back than a speedy wide receiver or cornerback as was previously most common. Though some receivers could also thrive in this role. There are a lot of unknowns and therefore a position truly up for grabs.

For that reason, I can’t do a simple player vs player here.

A topic of discussion when the team drafted Dylan Laube in the sixth round of April’s draft was that perhaps his skillset would translate perfectly to the new kick return duties. We shall see.

Second year receiver Tre Tucker would figure to be the favorite for the punt returner job. Others who fielded punts in minicamp included Tyreik McAllister, Ameer Abdullah, Tulu Griffin, DJ Turner, and Nate Hobbs.

My take:

I must say, I don’t have one. Mainly because I don’t think the Raiders have one just yet. The rule is so new that there is a lot still to figure out. Each team’s special teams coordinator will have their own ideas of how to best attack the new rule. Who they like handling those duties will change as their plans change.

In the meantime, special teams may actually be something worth watching in camp and preseason this year. The hope being that there are fewer touchbacks and therefore kick returns become a bigger part of the game than they were before.