Raiders T Donald Penn appeared on Late Hits with Tom Pelissero and Alex Marvez on SiriusXM NFL Radio Friday. During his time on the air, Penn spoke on a variety of topics, including the outlook for the Silver and Black's 2015 campaign and the continued development of second-year quarterback Derek Carr.
Here are the highlights from his interview.
On Offensive Coordinator Bill Musgrave:
Penn:"He really has a great football mind, and he has a really great knack for that offense. He really knows what everybody is doing on the field. When we're in the meetings he can tell you from my position, to the center position, to every receiver position what they have on each and every play."
On going against LB Khalil Mack in practice:
Penn:"Going every day in practice against Khalil Mack, who's a young stud, he's getting me better. I'm getting him better. The battles me and him have that you guys can't even see, we battle day in and day out. We talk about who won and who lost in the locker room."
On why 2015 will be the year things turn around for the Raiders:
Penn:"This offseason training and these offseason workouts, they've been great. We've had 100 percent attendance, and we've been working hard. We've been working probably the hardest I've seen a team work during the offseason that I've been on, and it's going to pay off next season.
On how different things are under Head Coach Jack Del Rio:
Penn:"Every coach is different. Jack brings a different vibe. He brings a different mentality, and when we're practicing and stuff starts going bad, Jack hates to say it, but he has to sometimes, 'We're not going to be the old Raiders. We're going to be the new Raiders.
On QB Derek Carr:
Penn:"The guy comes in at five o'clock every morning. Nobody knows that. He gets in at five o'clock every morning. He's there before the coaches. The coaches see him in the meeting room and he's already going over film looking at stuff, and he has a grasp of this offense. Derek Carr is a leader."
On C Rodney Hudson:
Penn:"Rodney is very athletic. He's very good in space. He's very smart too. He's really coming into his own with this offense. Every day he's getting better and better."
