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5 things to watch as Raiders open training camp

Updated July 26, 2018 - 9:13 pm

NAPA, Calif. — Dozens of Raiders veterans reported to training camp Thursday morning.

Their best, as expected, is yet to come.

Defensive end Khalil Mack was absent from check-in, as his agent and the front office continue to stand apart on a contract extension. There is no guarantee a deal will culminate before the season or, for that matter, any point in 2018. A date that might serve as a deadline in some holdouts carries zero consequence on Mack’s situation.

By Aug. 7, NFL players must report to training camp to acquire an accrued season.

SHORT DESCRIPTION (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

This is irrelevant for Mack because he already has four such seasons. Although he surely would be franchise tagged, he is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March. Losing an accrued season does not impact that. It only carries weight for a player with, for example, three accrued seasons, given the difference between three and four years is what separates a restricted and unrestricted free agent.

If Mack stood to lose a credited season, that would be more meaningful, as credited seasons impact a player’s retirement pension.

While the superstar’s absence Thursday is not the situation for which the Raiders hoped, they can find solace knowing Mack is one to prepare regardless of access to team facilities. That said, there is no reason to expect Mack’s arrival in Napa to be right around the corner.

Aug. 7 is not relevant this training camp.

Here are five items that are.

Kicker competition

The Raiders had one primary kicker for 17 consecutive seasons.

In 2018, it’s possible they could have their third in three years.

Giorgio Tavecchio overtook the role from Sebastian Janikowski last year with a solid NFL debut. He will be pushed this summer by Eddy Pineiro, a kicker from Florida whose $25,000 signing bonus paced all rookie free agents whom the Raiders signed after the draft.

Notably, Pineiro has familiarity with the team’s new holder, rookie punter Johnny Townsend.

This position battle was “nip and tuck” in the spring, special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia said in June. It will continue in camp and ultimately the preseason — unlike Tavecchio, Pineiro is untested in NFL game situations — before a decision is finalized.

Donald Penn

Kolton Miller will open camp as the Raiders’ first-team left tackle. Breno Giacomini likely will work on the right side.

There is a real chance this is the Week 1 arrangement, too.

Penn has been a model for toughness and durability in his career, having made 174 appearances without missing a game since 2007. The streak ended in December. Now, at age 35, he looks to recover from a nasty foot injury that required surgery.

A Lisfranc fracture is no sprained ankle. It takes time.

Penn will start training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list. While he continues rehab, Miller will have a chance to entrench himself at left tackle. Should the first-round pick do so, the Raiders will entertain the option to part with a veteran they’re otherwise due to owe half a $6 million salary, potentially $1.75 million in a roster bonus and up to $1 million in performance incentives.

Roster youth

Safety Obi Melifonwu produced no immediate return on investment in 2017.

Defensive tackle Jihad Ward wasn’t much better the year before.

In April, the Raiders hoped defensive tackle PJ Hall would deliver an impact unlike their most recent second-round selections. His learning curve was apparent in the spring when acclimating from Sam Houston State. And that was before an unspecified injury led to his Tuesday placement on the PUP list.

This is the start to Hall’s story. It’s too early to read into it.

But it’s also part of a greater camp storyline: The Raiders need more production from their roster youth.

Their rookie class offers reasons for optimism. Miller, the first-round pick, could start. Defensive end Arden Key, a third-round choice, projects as a situational pass rusher. Defensive tackle Maurice Hurst Jr., a fifth-round pick, looked like a first-round choice this spring.

But the need for impactful youth extends beyond this class.

In 2015 and 2016, for example, the Raiders took four players in the second and third rounds. It’s possible only one will crack the 53-man roster come September.

Ward was sent to the Dallas Cowboys in an April trade. Outside linebacker Shilique Calhoun, a 2016 third-round choice, seems a long shot to make the club. Tight end Clive Walford, a 2015 third-round pick, was waived in March. That might leave defensive end Mario Edwards Jr., a 2015 second-round choice.

Amari Cooper

The flashes are obvious.

The 210-yard, two-touchdown explosion last season versus Kansas City. The 787 receiving yards in the first eight games of 2016. The franchise rookie records of 72 receptions and 1,070 yards in 2015.

Next step: consistency.

Some of this falls on Cooper. The rest is on the Raiders’ new coaches and quarterback Derek Carr. All involved in the passing game must find a way to tap into the wide receiver’s talent. Possible avenues include moving around Cooper more, perhaps including more routes from the slot.

Other position battles

Competition exists throughout this roster.

At cornerback, the Raiders signed Daryl Worley, Shareece Wright and Leon Hall to one-year contracts. They and fourth-round pick Nick Nelson are among those who will push for a role behind projected starters Gareon Conley and Rashaan Melvin.

Coach Jon Gruden covets running backs. But given fullback Keith Smith is a lock, can Marshawn Lynch, Doug Martin, DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard all be retained? If not, those final two figure to compete for one spot. Undrafted rookie Chris Warren hopes to be a factor.

Wide receiver is fairly wide open behind Cooper and Jordy Nelson. Seth Roberts’ salary might be fully guaranteed, but his role isn’t. Slot receiver Ryan Switzer had a strong spring. The Raiders will have an opportunity in camp to provide clarity on Martavis Bryant’s status after many in and around the organization expressed concern in June about his standing with the league.

There is heavy competition on special teams.

The final roster spots to be assigned are often determined there.

More Raiders: Follow all of our Raiders coverage online at reviewjournal.com/Raiders and @NFLinVegas on Twitter.

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

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