Raiders stand by LT Donald Penn as holdout continues

NAPA, Calif. — Donald Penn is usually the one protecting the Raiders.

On Saturday, they supported him.

The left tackle dug into his decision to hold out from training camp, missing the first full-squad practice. Afterward, his head coach, quarterback and the team’s top defender faced questions about the missing offensive lineman. They stood by him.

Penn initially was due at camp headquarters on Friday.

He chose not to report, as he seeks a contract that will compensate him as the top-10 player at his position that he believes he was in 2016. The 34-year-old allowed one sack. He has never missed a regular-season game in a 10-year NFL career, the past three seasons of which were spent with the Raiders.

Coach Jack Del Rio said that he learned of Penn’s holdout on Friday morning.

Rather than slam the absence, he was among those to embrace Penn.

“We love Donald,” Del Rio said. “He’s a good Raider, a good player. What’s important for us is to focus on the work here and the guys who are here. … There’s a business side. There’s a time for pay and a time for play. Once we get to camp, my focus has to be on our team. … Obviously, we love Donald, and we’d love to have him. Hopefully that gets resolved shortly.”

Penn is due a $5.8 million salary in the final season of his two-year, $11.9 million contract.

He also can earn $750,000 in potential in-season incentives. Another $300,000 was available in a workout bonus had he reported Friday. Together, those may seem like sizable figures. But the going rate for a top-10 tackle’s cash haul in 2017 is $11 million or more.

Some of the league’s top edge rushers are in the AFC West. Penn is tasked with helping keep quarterback Derek Carr clean.

Carr, who received a five-year, $125 million contract extension in June, said that he’s spoken with his blind-side protector recently.

“I’ll never put my hand in another man’s pocket,” Carr said. “I’ll stay far away from that (topic). Everyone here, top to bottom, loves him. But we’re focused on here and getting better. He knows how everyone here feels about him. … If that’s his decision, that’s his decision. With that said, he knows how I feel about him.”

Marshall Newhouse is the projected starter at right tackle.

On Saturday, he worked with the starters on the left side. Vadal Alexander, a versatile guard-tackle, worked at right tackle in Newhouse’s place. Alexander saw reps at this same spot in the spring while Newhouse missed the final weeks of practice with an undisclosed injury.

All-Pro defensive end Khalil Mack is accustomed to facing Penn in practice.

“Those reps are very important when you’re going against a guy like that,” Mack said. “One of the best in the game. Obviously, he wants to be placed in that situation where he’s getting what he wants in that regard. It is what it is. Ain’t nothing but love for DP. But he needs to hurry back, whenever they get that done.”

Contact reporter Michael Gehlken at mgehlken@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GehlkenNFL on Twitter.