Breakout year for Raiders' Michael Mayer? New safety tag team? Plus other minicamp observations

HENDERSON, Nev. -- For Las Vegas Raiders manager Pete Carroll, the team's offseason programme was a learning experience.

Throughout organized squad enactment practices and mandatory minicamp, Carroll said his unit went to large depths successful trying to recognize the players and however to assistance them scope their potential.

"We learned a lot," Carroll said. "The full intent present is to fig them out. It's a narration that we're gathering [and] we request to cognize who we're teaching and however they operate."

There's lone truthful overmuch the Raiders tin bash successful padless practices. However, connected the days that were unfastened to reporters, it was wide that backmost Geno Smith had already established himself arsenic a beardown person successful the locker room.

And first-round prime Ashton Jeanty made important strides to go the team's featured moving back.

"He can't amusement his afloat quality close now, but disconnected the field, he's precise mature," Raiders starting near tackle Kolton Miller said. "He brings large energy, and it shows a batch of maturity for his age. I'm truthful excited to artifact for him."

Here are 5 much takeaways from the Raiders' offseason program:

TE Mayer could marque a leap successful Year 3

Tight extremity Michael Mayer hasn't lived up to expectations frankincense far. But with violative coordinator Chip Kelly calling plays, that could change.

In 2 seasons, Mayer, a second-round prime successful 2023, has totaled 460 yards and 2 touchdowns connected 48 catches. The erstwhile Notre Dame standout had conscionable 21 catches for 156 yards arsenic helium was absent 7 weeks past twelvemonth for idiosyncratic reasons.

Carroll had a heart-to-heart speech with Mayer to laic retired the expectations helium has for Mayer and the remainder of the team. He thought Mayer and second-year choky extremity Brock Bowers made plays connected the field, creating optimism for the presumption group. During the 2nd time of minicamp, Mayer made an awesome touchdown drawback disconnected a propulsion from Smith.

Las Vegas' discourtesy opens up adjacent much if Mayer is productive. It gives the Raiders a accidental to play 2 choky extremity sets, allowing Mayer to reap the benefits of defenses being focused connected Bowers.

"I deliberation Mike's been outstanding," Kelly said. "And I checked, you tin play with 2 choky ends successful a crippled astatine the aforesaid time, and sometimes you tin play with 3 choky ends they told me. So, possibly we tin get to that if we person to."

Is determination country to marque immoderate much moves?

After the Raiders signed erstwhile Cincinnati Bengals wrong linebacker Germaine Pratt, Carroll didn't shy distant from the anticipation of adding different subordinate betwixt present and grooming camp.

"You're either competing oregon you're not. We ain't letting up now," Carroll said. "There's nary clip to crook distant from having a accidental to get a small spot better. So, we'll beryllium connected it."

The Raiders person $38.06 cardinal successful headdress space. And if they mean to adhd much competition, it wouldn't wounded to bash truthful astatine cornerback. Las Vegas' extent determination remains questionable with an unproven radical crossed the board.

Las Vegas had rookie Darien Porter and Eric Stokes arsenic its first-team cornerbacks during the squad play of OTAs and minicamp. However, Stokes, a first-round prime successful 2021, has battled injuries passim his career.

Even though the Raiders worth Porter's carnal traits and upside, helium started successful lone 7 games astatine Iowa State. In addition, Porter wasn't asked to play a ton of antheral sum with the Cyclones. Iowa State lined up successful antheral sum connected 32.4% of opponents' dropbacks compared to 57.1% successful zone.

Jakorian Bennett, who played with the 2nd squad on with Decamerion Richardson, flashed his shot skills successful 2024. But helium is coming disconnected a torn labrum that constricted him to 10 games past season.

Maybe Porter is amended than expected successful Year 1 oregon the Raiders tin unlock Stokes' afloat potential. But that's a large ask, which is wherefore it makes consciousness to adhd different seasoned into the room. The Raiders person shown a willingness to amended astatine cornerback, arsenic a root told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler that erstwhile Seahawk Shaquill Griffin visited the squad past week.

Meanwhile, seasoned cornerbacks similar Mike Hilton, Jaire Alexander and Rasul Douglas are besides looking for caller homes.

Concern implicit Christian Wilkins' recovery?

Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins was absent for each 3 days of mandatory minicamp, arsenic helium continued to retrieve from a Jones fracture, which constricted him to 5 games successful his archetypal twelvemonth successful Las Vegas.

The past clip Wilkins was seen connected the tract was the archetypal OTA signifier that was unfastened to the media successful May. But helium did not person a helmet, nor did helium enactment successful drills oregon the 11-on-11 period.

When Carroll was asked past period astir Wilkins' rehab, helium was cautiously optimistic but admitted the process has been "long and challenging."

Wilkins signed a four-year, $110 cardinal deal, with $84.75 cardinal guaranteed, past offseason with Las Vegas aft 5 seasons successful Miami. His availability volition beryllium a large boost for the defense, particularly with borderline rushers Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce returning from injury. However, his presumption for grooming campy is beauteous overmuch up successful the air.

For now, the Raiders person others they tin crook to. Adam Butler and Leki Fotu were Las Vegas' first-team antiaircraft tackles during the squad period. They besides drafted JJ Pegues and Tonka Hemingway successful April.

"It's ever been 'next antheral up' mentality," Butler said. "I commune that helium heals immoderate he's battling. I commune that helium gets done it; he's a pugnacious guy. He's a large player."

Raiders' new-look information duo

The Raiders person an intriguing acceptable of safeties successful Jeremy Chinn and Isaiah Pola-Mao. Both players are agelong and versatile.

Chinn was among the apical players from OTAs and minicamp. He had a chemoreceptor for the ball, picking disconnected Smith during the archetypal unfastened signifier of OTAs. At minicamp, Chinn broke up a touchdown walk to Bowers.

During Chinn's clip with the Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders, helium was known for playing aggregate roles connected defense. That volition proceed successful Las Vegas. There were times erstwhile the Raiders would usage three-safety lineups, with Chinn successful the slot portion Lonnie Johnson Jr. and Pola-Mao were connected the backmost end.

Chinn could walk rather a spot of clip successful the slot, since Las Vegas lacks extent astatine nickel cornerback.

Pola-Mao, who signed a two-year declaration hold successful February, is hoping to physique disconnected a vocation play successful 2024. He stepped up arsenic a starter pursuing Marcus Epps' season-ending wounded and recorded vocation bests successful full tackles (89) and passes defended (5).

With much to prove, Pola-Mao wants to marque strides successful his antheral sum going into his 4th play successful Las Vegas.

"A batch of times my eyes were successful the incorrect places past year, truthful that benignant of got maine successful trouble," helium said. "I deliberation that's wherever it starts."

Offensive enactment optimism

With Smith nether halfway and accomplishment players similar Bowers, Jeanty and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers by his side, Las Vegas could beryllium problematic for opposing defenses this fall.

Ultimately, the group's occurrence volition travel down to the violative line, which was inconsistent past season. Las Vegas gave up the seventh-most sacks (50) successful 2024, but Carroll is hopeful that the portion tin crook it around.

The Raiders had Miller and DJ Glaze successful the tackle spot, Jackson Powers-Johnson astatine halfway and Alex Cappa astatine close guard, portion Dylan Parham and Jordan Meredith alternated astatine near guard.

Even though it's hard to justice violative linemen without the pads on, Carroll said the radical did a coagulated occupation astatine moving connected method and communication.

"[Offensive enactment manager Brennan Carroll] has done a bully occupation of getting each these guys to look uniformed," Carroll said. "Their manus placement is truly good. Communication seems to beryllium sharp."

Carroll was impressed with Glaze, who started successful 14 games astatine close tackle arsenic a rookie. He said Glaze has shown the quality to marque a leap successful Year 2.

Powers-Johnson said a afloat offseason astatine halfway has been beneficial for his growth.

"I ne'er truly had a existent offseason astatine center," helium said. "I was ever playing 5 oregon six antithetic positions, truthful being capable to hone successful connected 1 has been awesome. So, I deliberation I'm going to marque a large jump."

Last year, the Raiders had the worst rushing onslaught successful the league, averaging 3.6 yards per carry. And the violative line, which finished 22nd successful tally artifact triumph complaint (71%), didn't supply overmuch support.

The beingness of Jeanty should help. But the violative enactment has taken pridefulness successful improving successful tally blocking truthful that they person amended occurrence connected the crushed this clip around.

"There's a batch enactment connected us," Powers-Johnson said. "You got to tally the shot to beryllium capable to triumph the game, and that's been impressed connected america each azygous day."