New head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek have worked incredibly hard this offseason to make the Las Vegas Raiders a new-look team. Finally, on Wednesday, both the fan base and media got to see first-hand what the new regime has put in place.
While Phase 3 of the team's offseason program officially began on Monday, reporters and video were allowed at practice for the first time on Wednesday. Afterward, Carroll spoke to the media, as did select players like Maxx Crosby and Brock Bowers.
These two players have had drastically different experiences this offseason as they adjust to life under a new leader, but they both come away with the same feeling. Neither of them could say enough about how excited they were to have Carroll in the fold for the Silver and Black.
Several Raiders stars praised Pete Carroll after OTAs
Bowers kicked things off by talking about what the team's new culture is like with Carroll in charge, and he went on to talk about what he thinks of his new head coach personally.
"It's been awesome. Just the energy in the team meeting and the energy out at practice, it's been pretty fun," Bowers said. "(Carroll has) been just on fire. Just lighting everybody up and really bringing the energy, so it's been really, really cool to see."
After an All-Pro campaign in his rookie season, it would be easy for Bowers to get complacent and wish for things to stay the same. However, he is already embracing the challenge of playing under a new leader and looking to take his game to new heights.
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Crosby also made strong statements about his new coach and went on about what a great experience it is playing under Carroll.
"It's been incredible, you know? It's a breath of fresh air. We've been having so much fun and getting better every single day," Crosby said. "Coach Carroll, he's been amazing. He's hilarious, he loves the game of football; he's obsessed with it. He makes it fun, makes it enjoyable every day showing up in the building and that's all you can ask for."
While things have constantly fallen apart during Crosby's tenure with the Silver and Black, he has been one of the solid foundational pieces. Now, it appears that the franchise has found a stable head coach to lead this great player and his teammates through one of the darkest chapters in Raiders history.
Raider Nation will still have to wait several months to see the product that Carroll and his staff will put on the field Week 1 against the New England Patriots. Fortunately, all signs from OTAs indicate that Las Vegas should be one of the most improved teams in the NFL this season, and the Raiders' best players are already loving it.