5 observations from Week 2 of Raiders OTAs

May 29, 2024 at 03:24 PM

Levi Edwards

Digital Team Reporter

The Las Vegas Raiders have moved forward to their second week of Organized Team Activities (OTAs). The main goal remains the same: be competitive and improve each day.

With another week of practices, a plethora of players are shaking the rust off with mandatory minicamp around the corner. Here are a few notes and quotes to recap Wednesday's open practice on a sunny day in Henderson, Nevada.

Related Links

Brock Bowers could be seen doing a little bit of everything Wednesday morning. The tight end lined up in multiple spots in similar fashion to what he was accustomed to doing at Georgia, showcasing both his pass catching and rushing abilities. Overall, it was a good day for the tight end room, with big gains from Michael Mayer and John Samuel Shenker. "Right now, we're throwing a lot against the wall and we're trying to figure out what sticks," said Luke Steckel, tight ends coach. "So, that's for Brock personally, but that's for us as an offense as a whole. That's what this part of the year is about. It's about installing your playbook, figuring out what we're good at, what we're not, what Brock's good at, what he's not, and vice versa for all of our players. Really, once we get that figured out, when you define a role for everybody, that's when you really start to take off."
Aidan O'Connell's pocket presence continues to improve with a quick release to his targets, while Gardner Minshew II effortlessly buys time with his feet to break down coverages. "They're both incredible, good personalties, they balance each other well," said Rich Scangarello, the Raiders quarterbacks coach. "They're different how they approach it, they're different how they play, but their mindsets are similar. They're bringing out the best in each other. We've thrown a lot at them and they've handled it well."

A preview of the #Raiders new dominant duo pic.twitter.com/gYBysfsMUR
— Levi Edwards (@theleviedwards) May 29, 2024

There are a lot of questions surrounding who will take over at right tackle, and Thayer Munford Jr. is making a strong case for himself. He had an exceptional day of practice in team period and individual drills, and a potential leap in Year 3 could be on the horizon. "Night and day difference from my first year, my second year, to now," Munford said last week. "Now, I'm like, 'Alright, I know I can play, I know I can go against one of the best.' Especially with Maxx [Crosby] and anybody else that we're going to play this year. ... [A]ll I have to do now is actually meet my potential and actually do it and help everybody else out on the team as well."
The defensive line were extremely active with their hands off the line of scrimmage, with batted down balls coming from Byron Young and Charles Snowden. The icing on the cake was a fumble recovery caught by Malcolm Koonce, with an accompanying celebration in the end zone with Maxx Crosby.
The big guys upfront weren't the only active members of the unit Wednesday, with Marcus Epps and Robert Spillane making multiple stops in team period on running backs catching the ball out of the flat. This included creating a fumble that was recovered by Tre’von Moehrig, which resulted in another team celebration.

1 / 140

Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Robert Spillane (41) at an Organized Team Activity (OTA) at Intermountain Health Performance Center.