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No timetable for return of injured Raiders’ No. 1 draft pick

Updated July 26, 2023 - 9:58 am

Raiders coach Josh McDaniels isn’t sure when his two injured draft picks will join their teammates on the practice field, but he’s optimistic it will be soon.

“No timeline,” McDaniels said Tuesday when asked about the status of first-round pick Tyree Wilson, who begins training camp on the nonfootball injury list. “But he’s headed in the right direction, no question about it.”

Wilson, a defensive end, missed the end of Texas Tech’s season after suffering a foot injury in November and didn’t participate in on-field activities through the draft process or during the Raiders’ offseason. The team’s first training camp practice is Wednesday.

McDaniels, however, said the pace of Wilson’s recovery has been part of the team’s plan to prepare him for his rookie season.

“This is just a process that we expected based on what was happening at the time we drafted him,” McDaniels said. “We knew there was going to be a rehabilitation process, and then there’s going to be a reacclimation phase. … Once he’s ready to roll, then we’ll re-enter him into practice the right way and get him ready to go for the regular season.”

The same goes for defensive tackle Byron Young, a third-round pick out of Alabama who was placed on the physically unable to perform list with an undisclosed injury.

“Again, no timeline,” McDaniels said. “But he’s doing everything the right way and hopefully he’ll be out there soon enough.”

Roster moves

The Raiders made three transactions to get the roster to 90 players for the start of camp, most notably the release of quarterback Chase Garbers.

Garbers, a former California standout, spent most of last season on the practice squad before serving as Jarrett Stidham’s backup for the final two games.

The team also released cornerback Ike Brown and re-signed defensive tackle Kyle Peko, who appeared in eight games for the Raiders last season.

Welcome addition

McDaniels knows the impact cornerback Marcus Peters, who signed with the Raiders on Monday, can have on the field. He’s had to scheme against him many times.

“When you’re playing against him, you always know where he’s at, because there’s a chance you might not want to throw at him,” McDaniels said. “Players earn that opportunity and earn that status, not coaches or anybody else. He’s just a very intelligent football player.”

Peters, 30, joins a defensive backfield mixed with talent and question marks. He has 32 interceptions in seven seasons that include five Pro Bowl appearances.

Peters grew up in Oakland, California, which played a factor in his desire to sign with the organization.

“He wants to be a Raider,” McDaniels said.

Beat the heat

One of the items on the agenda for Tuesday’s reporting day was a medical meeting, at which the intense Southern Nevada heat was discussed.

McDaniels said he and his coaching staff will follow medical advice when it comes to managing the team’s workload.

“We have an incredible indoor facility, and if we ever enter into that danger zone — they have a very scientific way to measure it that I’m not really qualified to speak intelligently about, but I understand when they tell me that we’ve entered into a zone where it’s dangerous to be out there with helmets, pads, etc., then we’ll do the right thing,” McDaniels said. “We’ll use the indoor facility as we need to protect our players.”

Practice policy

Training camp practices are open to fans by invitation only, with season ticket holders eligible to apply for preferred dates.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.

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