Raiders rookie Tanner Muse staying cool ahead of first camp

Raiders rookie linebacker Tanner Muse is already making veteran decisions.

The third-round draft pick out of Clemson had one specific feature in mind this month when making his first big purchase as a professional athlete.

Muse, who this past weekend signed his rookie deal worth $4.32 million over four years with an $830,000 bonus, bought a Chevy High Country truck.

“It’s got cooling seats, and that was my main thing being out here in the heat,” he said Monday night on a Las Vegas Review-Journal podcast. “So we’re rocking and rolling.”

He had hoped to purchase a home in Las Vegas, but settled on a car since he was uncertain when he’d be able to sign and whether the season could be delayed or canceled.

An agreement between the players and the union offered clarity, and Muse has been busy since arriving in town last week to report for training camp with the rest of the rookies. A battery of virtual team meetings and medical checks, highlighted by multiple coronavirus tests, has occupied much of his time.

The group finally was able to explore the team’s new headquarters in Henderson after a strange offseason that saw minicamps and offseason team activities canceled because of the pandemic.

His ability to finally interact with his fellow rookies in person has eased any concern about bonding with teammates in real life.

“I can tell we have really good chemistry, just working out today and doing a lot of the meetings,” the 23-year-old said. “Going through the day together, you can see there’s a lot of good energy. A lot of guys willing to work. I think it will be a really good mesh for all of us being together early.”

Muse even had a chance to rib his new boss. When he was signing his contract, general manager Mike Mayock congratulated him while wearing a Boston College shirt, representing his alma mater and a conference rival of Clemson.

“I just had to make sure he knew who ran the ACC, but it was all good laughs,” Muse said. “It was just so fulfilling for me just to have this childhood dream come true, but the work isn’t done. I have a lot of work to do. Just because you sign for four years doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed four years. You’ve got to earn it every season and be your best every single day.”

Now that work can begin. Almost.

Veterans have started reporting for coronavirus testing, and even after that hurdle is cleared, teams will spend nearly three weeks working on strength and conditioning to ramp up to full pad work.

Muse said it will be an important time to help get players in shape to reduce the risk of soft tissue injuries after an entire offseason away from the team. He’s more concerned with making sure he’s all caught up on digesting everything he’ll have to learn on the field and in the film room, so he can hit the ground running in his rookie season.

“That’s something for me where knowledge is power,” he said. “I’ve always been taught that through the ranks in high school and college, being able to know what to do. That’s how you play fast. A lot of guys can run really fast and be strong, but if they’re not mentally sharp, they’re not very good on the field.

“That’s the biggest takeaway for me that’s been disappointing through this process,” he said of the restrictions caused by the pandemic. “But you just have to do what you can with what you have.”

Muse, like the rest of the league, won’t have to worry as much about his level of play if the league’s health and safety protocols aren’t followed and the season is cut short or canceled. He complimented the Raiders for strict adherence to policies inside the facility, which include social distancing and mandatory masks.

Muse said one of the priorities is staying safe to protect the health of the families of both the players and coaches, whom they will all go home to at the end of each day. But the viability of going forward with a full season in the midst of a pandemic is contingent on each of the 32 teams staying just as disciplined.

“You just have to make sure you follow the rules because one guy can mess it up for everybody,” he said. “One guy just happens to (get it) and you come into contact with so many people in the building, it’s just a trickle-down effect.

“You just have to do your best and hope everyone else does the same.”

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