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ALAMEDA — The Raiders are getting ready to go their separate ways until late July, newly minted as big-time entertainment with the news that NFL Films crews will descend upon Napa to film for the HBO series “Hard Knocks.”
They practice again Wednesday at their mandatory minicamp and are scheduled again for the following day. Yet it’s entirely possible coach Jon Gruden will excuse the Raiders Thursday for some bonding time if practices go well. Past years have included go-karts, bowling and target shooting as a possible diversions before everyone heads in opposite directions.
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Five takeaways from Tuesday’s first practice, which took place in 90-degree-plus heat that exceeds most anything they’ll see in Napa when the film crews roll in to document Gruden and Co. in Year No. 2:
1. Bring on the cameras
The “Hard Knocks” news was not initially welcomed by Gruden. He didn’t want it, nor did owner Mark Davis. But let’s face it, they were the landslide choice and for good reason.
Antonio Brown, Richie Incognito, Vontaze Burfict . . . all well and good. They’ll take a back seat to Gruden. You may have mixed feelings about him as a coach, but he was great on anything produced by NFL Films before he went to ESPN and now he’s got nine years of TV experience.
He’ll turn it up, too. Gruden is always great to watch during practice. But it was no accident that the day Peyton Manning showed up in Napa and Gruden wore a microphone for sound that he seemed to have a little extra in terms of enthusiasm. If that’s even possible.
Kind of a pain for the rank and file media that cover the Raiders every day? Probably, but it should make for great television.
2. Antonio Brown . . . again
Yes, this is getting redundant, but wide receiver Antonio Brown is about as good a practice player as you’ll ever see.
He was running past most everyone Tuesday, and considering there’s no contact or legit pass rush, it’s what he’s supposed to do. But that doesn’t mean everyone who’s a great player steps it up at practice. Brown is extreme in that regard.
At one point he left briefly into the field house, but wasn’t done for the day. He was quickly back on the field, making another big play before most anyone noticed he had returned.
Defensive backs have grown used to seeing Brown breaking into a sprint during a 7-on-7 drills when it’s really not necessary except to prove a point about out-working the opposition.
Cornerback Daryl Worley said Brown even arrived having scouted the cornerbacks on his new team, the better to tell them how to get better during practice.
“He’s definitely been able to give us feedback on where he feels as though we can improve or what he felt as though he has seen that we covered it well,” Worley said.
Typical of Antonio Brown in even most routine drills. Carry it to extreme. #Raiders pic.twitter.com/etHEj60wB8
— Jerry McDonald (@Jerrymcd) June 11, 2019
The best training camp performers I’ve ever seen are quarterback Jeff George and running back Darren McFadden, both in large part because they couldn’t be hit or tackled.
The same goes for Brown, but his impact will be more far-reaching than either of those two gifted players.
3. Waller poised to seize Jared Cook’s role
Darren Waller, claimed off the Baltimore Ravens practice squad last year, is being given every opportunity to be the main receiving tight end this season.
He’s looked very good in practice. More important, he’s saying all the right things in terms of continuing to embrace his sobriety day by day, determined to leave alcohol and drug problems behind.
In a way, Waller believes his past helps to reduce any pressure about his role in the present.
Tight end Darren Waller (83) will be given chance to fill Jared Cook role come training camp. #Raiders pic.twitter.com/tYZcDgpGH6
— Jerry McDonald (@Jerrymcd) June 11, 2019
“That gives me a place to feel good about myself and respect myself when I look the mirror because before I couldn’t really do that,” Waller said. “Those things translate to the field . . . you may think, `oh, I don’t know, you’re not too sure of yourself.’ But now it’s like I wake up and I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing in my life.”
Veteran Luke Willson and fourth-round draft pick Foster Moreau look to be the favorites to fill out the 53-man when it comes to tight ends. And Gruden loves utilizing tight ends,. He could even keep four.
4. Present and accounted for
The most conspicuous absences on the field Tuesday were cornerback Gareon Conley and linebacker Brandon Marshall. Gruden didn’t go into specifics and didn’t name either by name, only to say neither absence was a concern.
Attendance appears to be in the high 90s in terms of percentage for the off-season, although it’s impossible to tell for sure.
Most important, other than running back Isaiah Crowell, who had an Achilles’ tear in a non-contact drill early on, the Raiders have gotten through the off-season in good shape. They hope to get to Napa with most everyone ready to go.
“Everybody is here,” Gruden said. “We’ll have a couple of guys that won’t participate much (Tuesday) for various reasons, nothing serious, but we’ve had an unbelievable attendance in every day of our off-season program. This is just an exclamation point on that.”
5. Rodney Hudson . . . master of his domain
One of the coolest stories of the Raiders off-season was center Rodney Hudson, the first (and best) major signing by previous general manager Reggie McKenzie, receiving his masters degree in business from Nova Southeastern University.
Not just his degree, his masters. Hudson has been a mainstay along the offensive line since the day he arrived. He’s played hurt — even with kidney stones — and Tony Sparano, Jack Del Rio and Gruden have all sung his praises.
“He’s graduated from Pass Protection U, Run Blocking State and now he’s got his masters in business,” Gruden said. “And that just certifies what kind of guy you are dealing with here.”
Is there any wonder Gruden was coveted by “Hard Knocks?”