3 observations from the Raiders’ organized team activities
The Raiders finished the organized team activities phase of their offseason this week. Their Wednesday practice was open to the media, offering a glimpse of where the team stands before next week’s mandatory minicamp.
Here are three observations:
1. Carroll sets tone
The Raiders fly around the field during practice from the first whistle to the last. And not just the players, but an energetic group of coaches led by 73-year-old Pete Carroll, who defies all conventional wisdom by being as spirited and animated as anyone else on the field.
A skeptic might claim it’s just an act. But the message Carroll, the Raiders’ first-year coach, is sending is being heard by his players, who have no option but to keep up with someone at least twice their age.
“The standard is there, but it just can’t be talked about,” linebacker Elandon Roberts said. “You’ve got to come in every day, and you’ve got to win the day. You can’t try to come in and be one foot in, one foot out. And Pete’s doing a very good job instilling that in us every day.”
It’s also a building-wide, daylong vibe, not exclusive to just the field.
“Like there’s basketball hoops all around the facility. And whenever we’re done, he’s shooting around and having fun,” center Jackson Powers-Johnson said. “And if you want to have a team that has a lot of fun on what they do every single day, it has to start at the top. And he has fun every single day. He brings the juice. He doesn’t have a bad day. And it’s infectious energy that’s really been put on to us.”
2. Porter gets first-team reps
The Raiders invested a third-round pick in cornerback Darien Porter with the idea of getting him into the mix as soon as possible. After releasing Jack Jones and losing Nate Hobbs in free agency, they have two starting jobs available.
One hang-up is the transition Porter is making from wide receiver to cornerback, a process that started three years ago at Iowa State. He didn’t get his first start at cornerback until last season. How quickly the 6-foot-3-inch, 195-pounder navigates the learning curve will determine his role.
Based on the work he got in OTAs — he’s been working with the first team opposite Eric Stokes — Porter is either on the fast track to a major role or the Raiders are throwing as much as possible at him to help expedite his development.
Either way, the length, speed and athleticism have captured everyone’s attention.
“He’s playing more confident, so it’s cool to see,” veteran safety Jeremy Chinn said. “(He looks) like he understands it.”
Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham also has been impressed.
“When you have a rookie player coming in, if you can see the effort, him getting on the same page with how we play, that’s a positive,” Graham said. “And then, if he can eliminate the repeat mistakes, you’re on the way to becoming a dependable football player.”
3. Kelly’s touch on offense
The Raiders made offense a priority this offseason by trading for quarterback Geno Smith, drafting running back Ashton Jeanty with the sixth overall pick and wide receivers Jack Bech, Dont’e Thornton and Tommy Mellott.
They also pried highly acclaimed offensive coordinator Chip Kelly away from Ohio State by making him the NFL’s highest-paid assistant coach.
The Raiders are in the early stages of downloading Kelly’s offense. But from run-pass options with their quarterbacks, unbalanced lines, utilizing three tight ends and throwing deep balls to running backs, the offense could look vastly different this season.
It has already resulted in competitive periods between the offense and defense. This time last year, the defense dominated the offense. It has been much more balanced this year, and the defense is noticing.
“Chip, man, I’m in the lab, and I’m like, ‘He will not get me tomorrow. Him and Geno will not get me,’ ” Roberts said. “But it’s exciting.”
As frustrating as that sometimes might be for the defensive players, they understand the bigger picture.
“It feels good to be able to say, ‘Dang, man, the offense got us today. We’ve got to do this, we’ve got to do that,’ ” Roberts said. “I like the back and forth because it’s competition.”
Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.
