Tag: Raiders training camp

Antonio Pierce: ‘team bonding’ prompted Raiders to move training camp back to Cali

While being around 30 degrees cooler in SoCal is nice, Antonio Pierce says ‘team bonding’ was real reason Raiders moved training camp out of Vegas.

The big news this week for the Raiders is the agreement with the City of Costa Mesa to hold this year’s training camp there. Thus moving it away from the facility in Henderson where the team had held camp since arriving in Las Vegas four years ago.

As someone who has stood on the sideline in the heart of July and August and watched players in full pads and helmets — many of whom over 300 pounds — try to deal with the temperatures that reached well over 110 degrees any given day, the heat would seem to be a good reason to make the move. Actually, it would have been a reason never to leave their primo spot in Napa and take camp to Vegas in the first place.

And while new head coach Antonio Pierce acknowledges having a bit cooler temperatures for camp will be nice, he says the real reason is about the reason most teams used to take their training camp elsewhere.

“I don’t worry about the heat, it’s about team bonding,” Pierce said. “When I played in the National Football League, we never stayed at our facility. I was used to traveling and going away and kind of bunkered up with 90 or 85 players or whatever it was. Team bonding. Getting together, getting to know one another, get away from all the distractions. All about ball. Just ball. I told them I want us to be the tightest group of Raiders hopefully that this organization has seen and that’s what we’re going to build on and get that physical toughness that we want to build on in training camp. Does it help that it’s a little cooler? No doubt. But more importantly I think it’s just good for our team to bond, to get away, and just focus on us.”

Pierce has been all about team chemistry since he took over as head coach. And the results of that approach paid dividends last season and earned him the job full time. So, when he says he wants to leave for the sake of team bonding, you believe him.

Why Southern California? Well, as it happens both he and new general manager Tom Telesco have ties there. Pierce is an LA native. And Telesco spent the past seven years there as GM of the Chargers.

Specifically, the Chargers first held their training camp at Jack Hammett Sports Complex where the Raiders will be holding their camp. So, Telesco is quite familiar with the site.

The temperature being literally 30 degrees cooler in July/August there will certainly be much nicer as well, surely.

Raiders in talks to hold 2024 training camp in Southern California

Raiders in talks to hold 2024 training camp in Southern California

For years the Raiders held their training camp in Napa in Norther California. But since the Raiders arrived in Las Vegas for the 2020 season, they have held training camp at their facility in Henderson, facing daily temps that often surpassed 110 degrees. As of this year, they could be sending camp back to California.

The City of Costa Mesa has announced that they are in discussions with the Raiders to hold this year’s training camp at their Jack Hammett Sports Complex.

The proposed agreement would have the Raiders paying the city $165K in rent along with providing $600K for field upgrades. And the Raiders have committed to holding public practices.

The City Council will discuss the plans on Tuesday, May 7. but the City Manager and Mayor both sound very confident it’s happening.

“Costa Mesa is proud to be one of only two cities in the country to host an NFL team’s summer training camp in a publicly owned facility,” City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison said. “Jack Hammett is a treasure and we are excited to potentially have a new NFL team training here.”

Mayor John Stephens agreed.

“I’m pleased to welcome the Las Vegas Raiders and their loyal fans, ‘Raider Nation’ to the great city of Costa Mesa for training camp this summer,” Mayor Stephens said. “The Raiders and Costa Mesa share a commitment to excellence, and our partnership will greatly benefit the community. Many thanks to Newport-Mesa School District, especially Costa Mesa High School, for collaborating with us in this endeavor. To quote Al Davis, ‘Just win, baby!’”

The upgrades would be to fields three and four with camp taking place from mid-July through August.

Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo passed his training camp physical

Jimmy Garoppolo has passed his physical and will begin training camp with his Raiders teammates.

One of the biggest questions facing the Las Vegas Raiders heading into training camp was the injury status of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

But there’s good news on the injury front for Garoppolo, who has passed his physical and will begin training camp with his new teammates, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Garoppolo suffered a season-ending foot injury last December with the 49ers, and he’s been rehabbing after offseason surgery on his foot. He will not be placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.

After failing his physical in March, Las Vegas added a waiver to Garoppolo’s contract, pushing his $11.25 million signing bonus into his base salary. They also had the right to void the deal if he failed to pass a physical this season.

Now, that’s irrelevant as Garoppolo has passed his physical and will begin training camp with his new teammates on July 26.

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Jimmy Garoppolo still ‘going through his process’ with foot injury, Raiders looking at training camp return

Raiders are without Jimmy Garoppolo at OTA’s as he is ‘going through his process’ with foot injury and may not be back until training camp

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Injuries have been a problem for Jimmy Garoppolo. He has been lost for the latter part of the season three times in the past five years. Including last season when he suffered a lisfranc fracture in his left foot and was out the last month of the season and the playoffs.

At the time, Garoppolo held off on getting surgery in the hopes the injury would be able to heal and he could take the field should the 49ers make the Super Bowl.

They did not make the Super Bowl and as it turns out, Garoppolo did end up requiring surgery. A surgery that occurred after he had signed with the Raiders according to a report in The Athletic.

The Raiders take the field for OTA practice this week and Garoppolo will not be among them.

“You won’t see him today,” Josh McDaniels said of Garoppolo.

“He’s going through his process just like we knew he would. Nothing has happened that would surprise us based on the information we had.”

Garoppolo’s surgery was not a surprise to the Raiders according to McDaniels. And he says he not concerned about his starting QB not being available right now.

“Everything that’s happened since we signed Jimmy, we knew ahead of time,” McDaniels said when asked about Garoppolo getting surgery.

As for a timeline, McDaniels said it “could be” training camp before we see Jimmy G practicing.

“The most important time of the year is going to happen when we get to training camp so that we’re ready to go and we can do the work we need to do in August,” McDaniels said.

We all knew the primary concern with Garoppolo was staying healthy. But the expectation is that he is at least healthy going in. As of right not, that is not the case.

Raiders to hold joint training camp practices with Rams

Week after Raiders hold joint training camp practices with the 49ers, they will hold joint practices with the Rams

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For the second time since the Rams relocated to Los Angeles, the Raiders will be coming to town and join them for joint training camp practices, as first reported by the LA Times.

The Raiders will face the Rams in their second preseason game on Saturday August 19, so the joint practices will occur in the days leading up to the game.

These joint practices also come a week after the Raiders will hold joint practices in Las Vegas with the San Francisco 49ers, who they will face in their first preseason game.

Two years ago, the Raiders held joint practices with the Rams in LA. Several scraps occurred. And the second day, practice was called early due a huge brawl during a special teams drill.

Just prior to the fight, the Raiders lost Richie Incognito and Nicholas Morrow to injuries. That would end up being the last time we saw either player suit up for the Raiders.

Jamie Sharper, Troy Vincent Jr among 4 joining Raiders camp staff as part of Diversity coaching fellows

Jamie Sharper joins Raiders camp staff as part of Diversity coaching fellows

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The Bill Walsh NFL Diversity Coaching Fellowship each year seeks to use the minicamps and training camp for each NFL team to give minority coaching hopefuls an opportunity to observe, participate and gain experience with the hopes of ultimately gaining full-time NFL coaching positions.

The Raiders will add four coaches as part of the program. A couple of whom were highly successful former NFL players.

Jamie Sharper — Defense

Troy Vincent Jr. — Defense

Torrey Gill — Offense

Matt Willis — Special Teams

Sharper played nine seasons in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens (1997-2001), Houston Texans (2002-04) and Seattle Seahawks (2005). He was a member of the Super Bowl XXXV Champion Ravens in 2000.

Most recently, Sharper was a the Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers coach for the XFL DC Defenders in 2022. Prior to the XFL, Sharper served as the Linebackers/Defensive Line coach at Georgetown from 2018-22. He began his coaching career at St. Augustine High School, serving as linebackers coach from 2015-18.

Vincent Jr is the son of former NFL DB and NFL Executive VP of Operations Troy Vincent. Vincent Jr enters his first season as the Director of Recruiting/Scouting Analyst at Central Carrollton (Ga.) High School in 2023…He previously served as the Defensive Pass Game Coordinator at Paulding County (Ga.) High School from 2021-22…Participated in the NFL Career Development Summit in 2020 and 2021.

Gill is entering his second season as an offensive graduate assistant at Oregon State. Prior to that, he was a graduate assistant for two seasons at New Mexico State (2021-22) working with the wide receivers. Previous experience included three seasons as the pass game coordinator/wide receivers coach at Division III Whittier College (2019-21).

Willis played wide receiver for seven years in the NFL for the Baltimore Ravens (2007-08), Denver Broncos (2008-12) and Detroit Lions (2013). Willis took part in the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship program in 2017 and 2018 with the Chicago Bears.

Raiders to hold joint training camp practices with 49ers

Raiders and 49ers to hold joint practices prior to preseason matchup

It won’t be long before Jimmy Garoppolo gets to see his old teammates again. As the Athletic is reporting the Raiders and 49ers will be holding joint practices with Garoppolo’s old club prior to a preseason meeting this year.

Holding a joint practice with their old Bay Area rivals is cool and all, but you’d think they’d have had to good sense to hold said joint practice actually *in* the Bay Area. You know, where there is still a strong contingent of Raiders fans and the weather is much cooler?

So, of course, they are holding it in Las Vegas where temp hits triple digits by 9am in August. Presumably for the same reason they invited the Patriots to town last year. That being to show off their new digs.

No date has been announced yet for these joint practices or the preseason game.

And don’t expect to see Garoppolo against his old mates in the preseason game if he’s the starter. If last year with Derek Carr was any indication, those matchups will occur in the joint practices only.

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Raiders rookie FS Trevon Moehrig impresses Derek Carr: ‘This guy can actually cover’

Raiders rookie FS Trevon Moehrig impresses Derek Carr: ‘This guy can actually cover’

The Las Vegas Raiders were delighted to select college football’s 2020 Jim Thorpe Award winner, safety Trevon Moehrig, in the second round of this year’s draft. But now that he’s on the field battling for a starting spot at Raiders training camp, how special can Moehrig become?

That question will be answered in the months and years to come. But Moehrig is healthy — a back injury caused him to slide to the 43rd selection in the draft — and he’s already made an impression on the leader of the Raiders, quarterback Derek Carr.

Moehrig played superb defense against starting slot receiver Hunter Renfrow during one-on-one drills at Wednesday’s practice, which is very unusual for a rookie safety, or any safety, for that matter. The play left Carr in awe and asking for more.

“This guy can actually cover, so it’s impressive,” Carr said of Moehrig, according to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur. “Especially Hunter, that guy doesn’t get covered. God bless Moehrig the next day we go out there and he has to cover Hunter. He doesn’t like to get covered twice.”

Moehrig hasn’t had to face the wrath of Renfrow just yet, thanks to a day off for the Raiders on Thursday. But as Carr went on praising Moehrig, he had a simple request: make life difficult for Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, too.

“A safety on a slot receiver, that should be a mismatch … but he lined up and accepted that challenge and made the play,” Carr said. “Like that’s in the back of the end zone and I tried to put it out there, and he said, ‘No, not this time.’ And that excites me as a quarterback because I want him to do that to (Patrick) Mahomes.”

While Moehrig is officially a work in progress, it’s clear that Carr already expects a lot from the former TCU star. At 6-foot-2 and 202 pounds with evident coverage skills, Carr is likely correct to have high expectations, as are the Raiders. Moehrig didn’t get immediate snaps with the first unit, but he’s worked his way in there already with time to spare before camp closes.

On a defense that must improve mightily in 2021, despite youth and uncertainty at numerous positions, Moehrig, with his apparent versatility, could be a player that helps bring it all together. It will be fascinating to watch him develop, and so far, he’s clearly made quite the impression in Henderson.

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Derek Carr says Raiders TE Darren Waller is the ‘most unselfish superstar’

Derek Carr says Raiders TE Darren Waller is the ‘most unselfish superstar’

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Raiders coach Jon Gruden loves his skill-position players on offense. He’s stuffed the Las Vegas roster with versatile weapons, all of whom need the football in their hands.

But there’s only one football, of course. They’ll have to share. Quarterback Derek Carr says that the entire group — from the speedy Henry Ruggs III to fullback Alec Ingold — are as unselfish as they are skilled. And the most unselfish of them all is the No. 1 target for Carr this season, tight end Darren Waller.

“Darren Waller is the most unselfish superstar I’ve ever been around,” Carr said during media availability on Wednesday. “Very excited about that for the other guys because he doesn’t demand anything. He’s going to run the route full speed regardless, whether he’s a clear-out or getting the ball.”

Football is perhaps the ultimate team sport, but it’s not a given that the best player on the team will have his teammates in mind as Waller does. That’s an enormous benefit for the Raiders, on top of Waller’s immense talent.

Carr went on to say that Waller wants his teammates to have big days on the gridiron; in the end, it all benefits the Raiders. “Because the next game, they have to account for that and he’s going to be open,” Carr said.

Much of Waller’s attitude likely comes from the path he’s taken to superstardom. A former practice squad player for the Ravens, he’s found his way off the field after struggling with addiction. Now, his talent is so evident, it’s unlikely that he’ll run many clear routes in 2021.

The Raiders are simply lucky to have Waller on the squad. Where would Gruden and Carr be without him? That he’s unselfish and can set an example in Gruden’s versatile offense only sweetens the deal. And as humble as Waller is, everyone affiliated with the NFL knows he’ll get the football a lot this season. At this point, it’s just what’s best for the team.

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Raiders’ Tanner Muse ‘getting a good look’ at OLB due to his speed, athleticism

Raiders’ Tanner Muse ‘getting a good look’ at OLB due to his speed, athleticism

When the Raiders had three picks in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, general manager Mike Mayock said that if he did his job correctly, each selection could yield a starting player.

Mayock likely wished he hadn’t said that after the Raiders abruptly traded one of those picks, wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr., before Bowden played a snap for Las Vegas.

Another 2020 third-rounder, WR Bryan Edwards, is indeed slated to start in 2021, as he was last season. But Edwards has much to prove after catching just 11 passes in 12 games as a rookie.

The third of Mayock’s potential starters from last year’s draft is linebacker Tanner Muse. A safety while at Clemson, the Raiders converted him to LB and placed him on injured reserve with a toe injury last season. But now, with new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley taking the helm, Muse is getting a shot at starting in the Raiders’ 4-3 “base” defense, according to multiple reports and confirmed by coach Jon Gruden.

“[Muse] hasn’t won that spot yet,” Gruden said during media availability on Tuesday. “He’s getting a good look. His speed and athleticism are what we think is conducive to that position, the [OLB] position. So, he’s doing some good things. We aren’t in enough base to really see him yet, but that will continue to emerge as the next couple weeks unfold.”

While this isn’t a glowing review of Muse’s camp thus far, any positive sign from him is noteworthy at this point. He struggled mightily at training camp last season.

And as Gruden said, the Raiders haven’t played much 4-3 yet. Plus, Bradley is expected to use his nickel defense as his base alignment during the regular season, deploying just two linebackers, likely to be a mixture of Nicholas Morrow, Nick Kwiatkoski and Cory Littleton.

But Muse owns a 4.41-second time in the 40-yard dash. That’s surely part of what made Mayock pull the trigger in the third round, and it’s caught Gruden’s eye in Henderson thus far. With Bradley’s simpler scheme, as opposed to last year’s Raiders, Muse can potentially step in sooner than expected.

If Muse wins the first-team spot at a position that rarely sees the field, does that count as one of the starters Mayock daydreamed about before the 2020 draft? Hard to say. But it’s easy to realize that the Raiders’ draft picks have to start producing, and Muse has emerged out of nowhere to become a player to watch.

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