Left Tackle Donald Penn
The Oakland Raiders players have spent the offseason perfecting their craft, and preparing for the 2017 campaign. Monday, the team held its first of 10 Organized Team Activities [OTAs], and that continued Tuesday afternoon. Once practice had concluded, wide receiver Amari Cooper, left tackle Donald Penn, and defensive end Mario Edwards, Jr., took the podium to talk about the second day.
Here are the quick hits from their time with the media:
Cooper:
The Raiders have a very special guest this week, former Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson, and Cooper is taking full advantage of him being at the team's facility.
"I've just been asking him a whole bunch of questions. How does he run certain routes? What was his regiment like? And how he was so productive? He's a really cool guy. He's been giving me some really great feedback, so he's nice to have around."
No. 89 discussed what it's been like to observe guys like Charles Woodson and running back Marshawn Lynch on a day-to-day basis throughout the early stages of his career
"Guys like that, you just watch them. You see how they go about their day. Especially with Charles, I used to watch him a lot. He was really hard working. He was always in the weight room, always getting treatment. Marshawn, he's the same way. I just watch him because there is a reason why those two guys are so successful in this game."
Penn:
Penn opened up about how last season's conclusion is fueling his motivation to work harder this season.
"The good thing is, when you've got that bad taste in your mouth out here, it makes you work harder. It makes you put in extra work because that taste is still in there and you don't want to have that taste anymore. It's good having it now because we're working hard and putting in that much more work."
**The Raiders offensive lineman expressed his excitement to work with Todd Downing as the team's new offensive coordinator.
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"He's doing so much stuff that you guys can't even see with D.C. and us. He's letting us be us. He's making us come in and says it's time to work, when it's not time to work we can relax and have a good time. But, when it's time to work, it's work. He's on top of everything. When he's in the meetings, he's telling everybody what to do. I'm used to that, but I just like T.D."
Edwards:
Edwards talked what he learned from last season, and that he has worked on paying closer attention to the little things.
"Really just focusing on things. Everybody wants to go in and do all the big weights and all that stuff. But, paying attention to the little things… The small muscles control the big muscles. So just, learning my body a little bit more; learning what to eat to keep the weight off me and things like that. Just really paying attention to stuff like that."
