After three weeks, Oakland Raiders Training Camp 2018 has come to a close.
Thursday morning the players packed their bags and began vacating the team's facility in Napa, Calif., but it won't be long until they're back on the field. Friday, the Silver and Black will head south to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as they face off against Todd Gurley and the Rams.
It's only the preseason, but Saturday's game will serve as a nice teaser for the Monday Night Football clash between the two teams in Week 1. The Raiders won't be the only team to take the gridiron this weekend, as all of the team's rival opponents in the AFC West will see preseason action as well.
Before Week 2 of the preseason gets underway, let's take a look around the division.
Denver Broncos
Leading up to the regular season, the main focus is getting the team on the same page, while keeping everyone healthy at the same time. During the offseason the Broncos let go of several key playmakers on defense, mainly cornerback Aqib Talib, meaning cornerback Chris Harris Jr. will be asked to lead the secondary this season. Harris, however, was unable to participate in practice Wednesday. Harris' injury shouldn't keep him sidelined for an extended period of time, but a lot of the success in the secondary hinges on his health.
The Broncos will face the Chicago Bears this Saturday at Mile High Stadium.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs had a long list of guys that missed practice Tuesday: Allen Bailey, Eric Berry, Laurent Duvernay-Tariff, Jimmy Murray, Keith Reaser, Daniel Sorenson, Damien Williams, and Charcandrick West. The team has had a long list of injuries throughout camp, which you can see here, but the amount of injuries doesn't exactly inspire confidence as the regular season draws near.
Week 2 of the preseason will feature a matchup between the Chiefs and the Atlanta Falcons, which will take place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Raiders have been impressed with the progression they've seen out of their trio of defensive rookies in Arden Key, Maurice Hurst Jr., and P.J. Hall, but they're not the only ones that are opening eyes in the division. When the Bolts selected Florida State safety Derwin James with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, many considered it a steal, and while he has yet to play an official regular season game, the former Seminole's knowledge of the game is translating on the field.
"In the classroom, he's pretty sharp," Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said. "He just needs to go out on the field and do it consistently."
There's high expectations for James, we'll have to see how he progresses in the coming weeks. The Raiders will meet him for the first time Week 5 in Los Angeles, but before that happens, he'll get some extra reps this weekend against the Seattle Seahawks. The game will be played at StubHub Center in Los Angeles.
