Despite being 73, going on 74 years old, Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll is known for having plenty of energy as a coach.
Perhaps the best example comes from the Raiders’ recent OTAs and mandatory minicamp practices, where Carroll has been seen wrestling offensive and defensive linemen during the team’s stretching period. Though he was asked about the ‘match’ with tackle Thayer Munford Jr. and clarified, “I wasn’t wrestling with him. I pinned him.”
The point is, energy at practice is important to the head coach, and he was happy with how the team performed in that department this spring.
“These guys have really been accepting of a little bit of the craziness that we’re all about,” Carroll explained after the Raiders’ final mandatory minicamp on Thursday, June 12. “How we do it, and we expect them to be on every time, every day. Every time we go out in the field, they’re expected to give everything they got. They make a commitment that they’re going to be all in and then the coaches have to make sure we drive the energy.
“And so, if I’m expecting that, then I got to do that, too. And so that’s kind of how we operate, and with the thought of, ‘We want to maximize the opportunity that we have that’s right in front of us every single day, every step we take’. That may sound like talk to you, but this is how we live. So, they have embraced it and I’ve been thrilled with the mentality on a regular basis;
“The coaches really have to set the tone. But we do that until we can step aside for the leaders to take over, and we have strong leadership on this team, on both sides of the football. And so, it’s really important in the whole idea of the energy thing, or however you want to look at it, is, I’m trying to get everything they got, every step they take.”
Carroll went on to say that the next six weeks, when the players will be off until training camp, are “huge,” and he challenged them to come back in the best shape of their lives to make the most of the opportunity this season.
On a similar note, Carroll was asked where he saw the most progress from the team during minicamp.
“I think work ethic, really,” the head coach replied. “I think the consistency in our work ethic.
“We came out of the OTA phase two, when you can only go so far, you can only do so much. Then in phase three, we get to do a lot more against each other and work offense versus defense. And so they got to transfer the phase one, phase two, to the final phase into this minicamp. But even with that, there’s so much restraint on them.
“It’s really hard to do this right, because you’ve got to use your imagination, because you can’t make the plays. So, sometimes we go a little bit too far. The league is aware of how we practice, because they know, and we had to stay within the guidelines, which we got done in good fashion.”
The Raiders return for training camp at the end of July and open the preseason against Carroll’s former team, the Seattle Seahawks, on August 7. So, we have some time, but we’ll find out soon who has the energy and is ready to put the work in.
In Other Raiders’ Links:
Brock Bowers or Bo Nix?: “Recently, former Las Vegas Raiders general manager Tom Telesco explained on a podcast that the teammight have drafted Oregon quarterback Bo Nix if he were available with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft,” Silver and Black Pride’s Bill Williamson wrote. “...considering Nix’s future potential, the importance of the quarterback position and the Raiders’ uncertain long-term future at the position, would you rather have Nix than Bowers or are you good with how things played out?”
Trade for a veteran CB?: “[Pro Football Network] has tabbed Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome as the perfect trade target for the Raiders,” Williamson wrote. “It’s not a surprising choice. Newsome has been the subject of trade talks in the past, and he saw his role decrease last season. However, he has experience, and the Raiders could use some veteran experience at the position.”
Caleb Jones works out for Raiders: Las Vegas hosted the offensive tackle, per Aaron Wilson, who has played for the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots.
Tre’von Moehrig contract catches heat: “The Panthers overpaid again this offseason when they signed Tre’von Moehrig to a three-year, $51 million deal that includes $34.5 million guaranteed,” Bleacher Report’s Kevin Knox wrote. “The 26-year-old developed into a fairly reliable starter for the Las Vegas Raiders but hasn’t established himself as a top-tier player yet.”