Las Vegas Raiders fans are finally getting their first look at star running back Ashton Jeanty in the Silver and Black. He was in uniform at the NFLPA Rookie Premiere last week, and on Wednesday, the media was allowed to watch the team's second day of OTAs.
However, Jeanty might look a bit different to Raider Nation at first glance because offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has already changed his pre-snap stance. In college, Jeanty stood straight up and down in the backfield before the ball was snapped, which became one of his signatures.
Kelly and the staff have come under fire a bit, as many feel that his stance should not be fixed if it is not broken. Jeanty had plenty of success in college standing this way, but the NFL is a different beast, and even generational prospects can use a tweak or two.
Pete Carroll responds to Ashton Jeanty stance news in funniest possible way
Head coach Pete Carroll did not seem too concerned about the adjustment, however. He spoke to the media after Wednesday's practice about Jeanty and even cracked a joke about the change.
"I really like that stance he's in," Carroll joked, while squatting into an athletic posture.
Carroll's ability to find humor in the various reports that the sky was falling should give Raider Nation a vote of conifdence. Perhaps nobody has seen more great running backs in his day than Pete Carroll, so he and his staff's advice should be considered with the utmost importance.
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The media storm surrounding the change of stance being a negative thing is a complete non-starter. While it may take Jeanty a bit of getting used to early in his career, he has several months to work out the kinks.
No rookie walks into an NFL practice and is immediately told that he has nothing to work on. Even the best players in the league are constantly seeking improvement, and Jeanty should not be shielded from criticism or adjustment because of his wildly successful college career.
It is fulfilling, however, to know that the biggest criticism the staff has seemingly found of Jeanty has to do with his pre-snap stance. To the rest of the NFL: good luck, because Jeanty is still the same monster when the ball is snapped.