The Las Vegas Raiders have concluded NFL Mandatory Minicamp and have their eyes affixed to the coming training camp.
Our latest episode of the Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast features Silver and Black beat writers discussing their observations after three days of NFL Mandatory Minicamp and heading into training camp.
In a short time as head coach, Pete Carroll has blown like a fresh wind over a storied organization that had grown stale.
Coach Carroll spoke after the final mandatory minicamp practice and delivered some incredibly insightful information.
You can read a partial transcript of all he said below.
Head Coach Pete Carroll
Q: In accepting the craziness, we saw you wrestling Thayer Munford Jr. the other day.
Coach Carroll: "I wasn't wrestling with him. I pinned him."
Q: And today we see an equipment manager in the bubble, rolling around after stretch. What are the stories behind these things?
Coach Carroll: "Yeah, I can't speak for the bubble thing, they were trying to surprise me with that one, I guess, I don't know. I didn't know that was happening. But they're taking part in it, obviously. What we're asking these guys to do, to play as well as anybody that plays this game, we're not setting expectations, trying to win a few games and make some progress. That's not what we're doing here. We're trying to take this as far as you can possibly take it and see the only perspective that they have heard from me, and that's the only one I can even imagine. I can't think any way else, and so that means we have to just continue to maximize all of the moments. And so that means I need to keep their attention and keep their focus and keep them going and keep them guessing, and whatever it takes. I was a little concerned, because this is kind of like the last day of school, kids get a little crazy, and they do some crazy things and stuff because they know there getting out. I was a little concerned, so we addressed that, and they brought all their love and energy today to this effort that we had. And there's a lot to this, what they put into it demonstrates how important it is to them and how much they respect their opportunity. And it also, what they put into it allows them to present themselves as the best they can to be a great teammate. And you can't have a great team without great teammates on it. And so there's a whole building process to getting that done, and part of that is taking part in whatever we ask them to do as wild as it may be or nuts as they may think it is, and some of it is pretty crazy, but we made it. We made it through."
Q: Michael Mayer seemed like a guy that got a lot of touches over the last however many practices that we got a chance to see. What are your impressions of the young tight end?
Carroll: "I thought Mike [Michael Mayer] had a great off season with us. We started out going heart to heart and him understand what we're all about, and he embraced it and took it as well as anybody could take the challenge of bringing it day in and day out. He had a great camp, and he was doing well before Brock [Bowers] got here, and the two of them just went head to head just trying to make a play here and there and going back and forth. And they were just great contributors. It's a terrific position group for us. Ian Thomas coming in really, really liven it up as well. So, we have a very good position group right there and excited about what they're going to do, but I thought Michael had a great camp.”
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