NAPA, Calif . -- A daily review of the hot topics coming out of Oakland Raiders training camp:
Call it a 3-4 or even a 5-2 alignment, but the Raiders continue to show a stacked hybrid defensive line in 11-on-11 drills. Going left to right on the D-line: a standing Khalil Mack, while rookie Jihad Ward, Justin Ellis and Mario Edwards have their hands in the dirt, and a standing Bruce Irvin. The two linebackers behind the line have been Malcolm Smith and Ben Heeney, with John Lotulelei spelling Smith with the first-team offense at times on Friday.
First-round draft pick Karl Joseph returned to practice Friday after taking Thursday off to rest his still-recuperating right knee; he suffered a torn ACL last fall that kept him out of the Raiders’ offseason program. “It was a good break,” the strong safety said of sitting out the day before. “The knee’s still not completely 100 percent yet, so (I was) just taking a day off to kind of let it rest. Not trying to beat myself up too bad before the season starts.”
Tight end Clive Walford also returned after sitting out Thursday for undisclosed reasons, and he made a couple of clutch catches in traffic across the middle with the first-team offense in 11-on-11s. Especially eye-opening was his grab in front of Joseph in 7-on-7s.
Running back/kick returner Taiwan Jones missed a second consecutive practice for undisclosed reasons. He had his right leg heavily wrapped.
Defensive lineman Denico Autry was activated off the physically unable to perform list Friday and practiced with a cast on his right wrist, which he injured in the offseason training program. “It was tough; I had a little setback,” said Autry, who last season had three sacks, a safety and led the NFL with four blocked kicks on special teams. “But I’ve got to keep striving every day to get where I was at and get better.”
After going in pads for four straight practices over five days, the Raiders went back to helmets and shells for a shorter practice No. 7. “Still very important time for us, being together, getting to some full-speed work, and I thought we handled it pretty well today,” coach Jack Del Rio said.
The Raiders picked up two players off waivers after practice in DB Tramain Jacobs and LB Lenny Jones from the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers, respectively. They waived/injured CB SaQwan Edwards and waived DE Damontre Moore in the corresponding roster moves. At Thursday's practice, Moore got in a fight with undrafted rookie running back Jalen Richard.
TJ Carrie did not participate in fielding punts, and those who did had a hard time as Jaydon Mickens, DeAndre Washington and Joe Hansley all dropped punts. Jalen Richard and Max McCaffrey had clean sheets, so to speak.
After a strong on-point start to 7-on-7s, backup quarterback Matt McGloin was victimized for at least his third pick-six of camp; this time Carrie stepped in front of Mickens and took it to the house.
CB David Amerson continued his strong camp, blanketing Amari Cooper and knocking away a pass from Derek Carr in 7s. … McCaffrey had an acrobatic catch down the right sideline to beat Antonio Hamilton on a pass from Connor Cook. … If they had been playing in pads and/or playing a real game, Irvin and rookie Shilique Calhoun would have had sacks of Carr.
The Raiders practice Saturday from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Some Tweets from Friday’s training camp practice:
Word of the day at Raiders camp? Hydrate. https://t.co/GcPsAEpMd8 pic.twitter.com/bSu9919kLi
— Paul Gutierrez (@PGutierrezESPN) August 5, 2016
Coach Jack Del Rio breaks it down with Latavius Murray and Marcel Reece during stretch. https://t.co/xwaVNuDbKD pic.twitter.com/wVvbE4g65Q
— Paul Gutierrez (@PGutierrezESPN) August 5, 2016
DL Denico Autry (No. 96) activated off PUP list. His lower right arm is heavily wrapped. https://t.co/4rRGyDzw0s pic.twitter.com/C1eIBctoIj
— Paul Gutierrez (@PGutierrezESPN) August 5, 2016
#Raiders DC Ken Norton, Jr., exhorts the D to break on the ball. @BIrvin_WVU11 obliges. pic.twitter.com/udgtaoA5Qv
— Paul Gutierrez (@PGutierrezESPN) August 5, 2016
This...#Raiders #TomFlores https://t.co/nsHhCLzJjv
— Paul Gutierrez (@PGutierrezESPN) August 5, 2016
"The sky's the limit." - Amari Cooper https://t.co/czPJFhSI1D pic.twitter.com/IQaUewXWqO
— Paul Gutierrez (@PGutierrezESPN) August 5, 2016
Linebackers Korey Toomer and Malcolm Smith get in some hand work after practice. https://t.co/YykpshG8zo pic.twitter.com/5NhGjNlZGc
— Paul Gutierrez (@PGutierrezESPN) August 5, 2016
Que frio, que no? https://t.co/PzCrYzzm97
— Paul Gutierrez (@PGutierrezESPN) August 5, 2016
