It might not be draft season, but the Oakland Raiders are on the clock, granted, they have a little bit longer than 10 minutes to make this decision.
Rookie safety Obi Melifonwu returned to practice Tuesday afternoon, marking the first time he was on the field since being placed on the Reserve/Injured list September 5.
Now that the former UConn Husky is officially back to work, a 21-day clock to activate him starts ticking, although, if the Raiders brass decided they want to, Melifonwu could be promoted back to the active roster prior to the team's Week 9 matchup against the Miami Dolphins.
"I just took it day by day," said Melifonwu following Tuesday's practice. "Every day I got better, and it worked out, perfect timing that 'I'm back, and I'm healthy."
The Raiders second-round draft pick has seen extremely limited time on the field since joining the Silver and Black – his 22 snaps in the third week of the preseason are his first and only live reps – but as he grew healthier, and got closer and closer to his return, he didn't feel restless, just ready to get back to work.
And now that he's back out on the field, those feelings have subsided.
"Not really restless, just anxious, excited to be out there, but I'm finally out there," Melifonwu said. "I'm finally practicing, so I just feel very good."
After a quality career at UConn, Melifonwu burst onto the scene following a freakish performance at the 2017 NFL Combine, and with his ability to move around the secondary, his possible return could be a welcome one for the backend of the Raiders defense.
Melifonwu himself said that he brings a certain "versatility" to the team, so be sure to keep a close eye on his timeline over the next two weeks in particular.
"I think I'm a guy that can fit in a lot of different spots, wherever need be," Melifonwu said. "Wherever the team needs me to fit to help the team win, I'm all for it."
