The pads were back on Sunday
The Las Vegas Raiders had the pads back on after a light day of practice on Saturday. The heat turned into rain, quickly cutting training early, but plenty of action in today’s practice with the team wearing their shells.
The offense continues to look fresh, and Derek Carr appears to be in command of the offense early on. From a mental standpoint, there aren’t too many mistakes we see on offense.
The main story from yesterday was the movement of the offensive line with Leatherwood receiving reps with the third team. Today was a bounce-back day for Leatherwood, where he was back to rotating with Brandon Parker during team sessions.
He had winning reps during one-on-ones in a drill designed for offensive linemen to fail. Dylan Parham and Andre James shined during these drills, adding optimism for the interior of the offensive line. Overall, it was a good day with good work in the run game and pass protection in team drills.
Ameer Abdullah vs. Kenyan Drake
A surprising occurrence during the practice was Ameer Abdullah, the primary third-down back on offense.
Abdullah is a journeyman running back but returns kicks and is usually a third-down back during his career. He must be impressing coaches with his veteran presence and consistently getting reps expected for Kenyan Drake at the beginning of camp.
Defensive tackle depth could be an issue.
With injuries to Bilal Nichols and Jonathan Hankins, the defensive tackle position’s depth is a concern. During practice, Kendall Vickers, Andrew Billings, and Kyle Peko saw most of the action. They were pushed around inside against the run and didn’t put much pressure on the quarterbacks from the interior.
Rookies Neil Farrel Jr. and Matthew Butler continue to work behind that group while settling into NFL action. Butler shined during one-on-one sessions where we saw his ability as a pass rusher, beating guards with his upfield burst and quickness.
Other notes from Sundays practice
-Leatherwood did return to his usual reps filling in for Parker, but Jermaine Eleumanor receives reps at right tackle as well. A fan favorite who Tom Cable benched after performing well is competing for a spot.
-Carr and Davante Adams’s connection is noticeable as the two constantly communicate at practice. They are doing everything they can to be on the same page.
-The whole cornerback room was missing from practice, from Rock Ya-sin to Anthony Averett. Chandler Jones and Darren Waller were not on the field as well. Jones has missed three practices in a row, with Josh McDaniels not giving much information about his update.