Raiders report: Darren Waller sharp in return to practice
Preseason at a glance
Schedule
All practices at Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center, unless noted:
Wednesday — Joint practice with Los Angeles Rams, Irvine, California.
Thursday — Joint practice with Rams, Irvine.
Friday — Off
Saturday — Preseason game vs. Rams, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California, 7 p.m. (KVVU-5)
Sunday — Off
Monday — Practice 7:30-9:30 a.m
Tuesday — Practice 7:30-9:30 a.m. (Rosters reduced to 80)
Quote of the day
The Raiders travel to Southern California this week for two joint practices with the Rams before their preseason game Saturday at SoFi Stadium.
Raiders coach Jon Gruden says it’ll be “fun to see some different fronts, see some different coverages” and “see some different players.” That said, Gruden must find a balance between preparing his team for the regular season and withholding some of his plays and concepts because of the preseason nature of their practices.
“Hopefully, the film doesn’t get out there. Hopefully, it doesn’t get on the internet and all over YouTube, Facebook or whatever other outlets there are,” Gruden said. “Hopefully the video coaches keep it internal. We’re not going to show everything, but we’re going to continue to try to get better. You have to prepare yourself for the season, and that means you’ve got to do things you’re going to do in September. We’re going to try to do some of those things against the Rams, and I’m sure they will, too.”
Waller, others return
Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller returned to practice Tuesday for the first time since Aug. 2. He was a full participant, taking part in individual and team drills.
Waller, who had an ankle injury, assumed his role with the first-team offense and was every bit as spry as he normally is, shaking defenders with precise route running and pure straight line speed.
“He was great today,” Gruden said. “He makes his presence felt right away, after the catch, down the field. He’s a phenomenal talent.”
Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota also returned to practice after missing a week with a sore leg, and safety Karl Joseph was back for the first time in two weeks.
Cornerback Isaiah Johnson and linebacker Divine Deablo were activated from the PUP list. Gruden said Deablo might play in the preseason finale against the San Francisco 49ers.
Play of the day
Waller was one of the primary targets for all three of the Raiders’ quarterbacks during Tuesday’s practice, lining up all over the field and running a myriad of routes.
He was surgical underneath but even better down the field — breaking free from safety Roderic Teamer down the right sideline during a seven-on-seven repetition. Quarterback Derek Carr lofted a looping pass toward the boundary, and Waller sprinted before slowing his stride, tracking the ball and securing it with two hands 30 yards or so from the line of scrimmage.
“He looked just like we expected him to,” Gruden said.
Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.
