Five players to watch out for during Raiders training camp
As players begin to return for preseason training camp, all attention is naturally turned to the biggest stories – rookies earning their colours, veterans in new places, and big names returning from injury.
With a star back holding out of his contract, and a new quarterback returning from surgery, the Las Vegas Raiders training camp will no doubt be one of the most intriguing. Here are the top five players who fans should watch out for in Henderson, Nevada.
Jimmy Garoppolo
New quarterbacks will always draw attention during preseason camp, and Jimmy Garoppolo will be no different, as he replaces long-time starter Derek Carr in Sin City and returns from a foot injury which had previously led to speculation that he could miss the preseason entirely.
Now cleared and ready for action, Garoppolo heads into his 10th NFL season at the helm, but fans have a right to be sceptical. Jimmy G has started less than half of his team’s games in six of those nine seasons – three of those were spent backing up Tom Brady in New England.
Only once has Garoppolo started every game of a regular season campaign – his first year in San Francisco, when he led the Niners to a 13-3 record and a Superbowl appearance. His second most starts in a regular season (15) came in 2021, when the Niners reached the NFC Championship game.
As if there was not enough pressure already, Garoppolo may not have Josh Jacobs this season, so his transition into the side must be fast. Training camp and the succeeding preseason will indicate whether he is up to the task.
Zamir White
With Josh Jacobs holding out, all eyes turn to the next man up. Nicknamed ‘Zeus’, former Georgia Bulldog and 2022 fourth round pick Zamir White heads into training camp with the knowledge that he has good odds of being the starter come week one – all he has to do is perform in camp.
Jacobs leaves big cleats to fill as last season’s rushing yards leader with 1,653. But White is a competitor – proved by his college National Championship win and 2,043 yards for Georgia despite sharing snaps in the Bulldogs stacked rushing core – and therefore, can be expected to make the position rightfully his during camp.
Marcus Peters
The newest addition to the roster will rock up at late notice to training camp, after 30-year-old Marcus Peters signed a one-year-deal on Monday.
The signing of Peters addresses a huge need for the Raiders, who have not had a defence rank inside the top 20 in points conceded per game since 2006. Last season the Raiders finished 26th in this stat while also allowing the highest average opponent quarterback rating.
Peters may have had only one interception last year, but he has made his name as a ball-hawk corner, and training camp could give a good indication of whether Peters can still be the type of player Vegas desperately needs him to be.
Tyree Wilson
The Raiders have not only come up short in the secondary – they have also been notoriously bad at making draft picks. The signing of Tyree Wilson will hopefully change that.
The Raiders first round draft choice will begin camp on the sidelines after being added to the Non-football injury list. But, having the third highest odds to win defensive rookie of the year, fans will be keeping a close eye on all six-feet-six-inches of the pass rusher’s frame, as he joins an elite core consisting of Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones.
Davante Adams
A player of Adams’ calibre can be expected to thrive under almost any conditions, but his chemistry with Garoppolo will surely be if not the biggest question surrounding the Raiders camp after the quarterback replaced Adams’ long-time friend and college roommate Derek Carr – the very person responsible for bringing the star wideout to Vegas in the first place.
The 30-year-old receiver adapted to Vegas with ease in 2022, as he posted 1,516 yards and 14 touchdowns in his first season wearing silver and black – his third straight season with over 1,000 receiving yards. In 2023, however, he will share the field with Jakobi Meyers, and will be faced with a third different quarterback pairing since joining the team last year.
Adams fared well when the Raiders switched to Jarrett Stidham at the end of last season, as he posted 226 yards and 2 touchdowns in the final two outings of 2022. Training camp will show if the same can be expected from the new QB/WR duo.
