On Wednesday during the Raiders' second padded practice of training camp, the offense showed its first signs of life. The coaching staff and players alike have been preaching consistency all offseason, and during Friday's practice in Costa Mesa, the offense strung together its second straight day of improvement.
After two days of hitting each other for the first time in a while, the coaches decided that the team should take Thursday to rest and allow for some off-the-field team building to occur. The group returned with a vengeance on Friday, although veteran WR Davante Adams was not with the team, as he returned to Las Vegas to be with his wife for the birth of their baby boy. When he will rejoin the team is currently unknown.
Antonio Pierce had a lot to say before Friday's practice at the Jack Hammett Sports Complex, and a few players spoke to the media afterward detailing the day’s events.
Pierce's presser
Pierce was asked quite a bit about the development or state of individual players on Friday morning, and he began by talking about second-year DE Tyree Wilson. He said it's great to see Tyree "healthy and enjoying football again" which has been a common theme for players that stuck around under Pierce after dealing with Josh McDaniels last season. The most promising quote from Pierce was that Wilson is starting to "look like the guy we drafted last year". Wilson will obviously relinquish playing time to Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce, but he seems to be better positioned this year to make an impact with the time he gets on the field.
He was also asked about rookie OT DJ Glaze filling in for Thayer Munford Jr. when he left the field with a hand injury for a short while. Pierce commented that Glaze "showed up in a big way" and "didn't blink" when taking on Munford's role of trying to keep Crosby in check. Tom Telesco echoed this sentiment, saying that Glaze was progressing faster than anticipated. He also drew praise from his head coach for his constant improvement through the summer, which is most important for a mid-round pick that the team will not need immediately.
As it pertains to the quarterback battle, Pierce obviously kept it status quo. He did inform the media that reps will be split 50/50 between Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew in the first preseason game, which was expected, but is now confirmed. He is still waiting for someone to step up in the QB battle, but he did acknowledge the great day that Minshew put together before the day off. As expected, none of it matters to the first-year head coach if their play is inconsistent.
Kolton Miller's return still has no exact timetable but according to Pierce, he is progressing as he should be.