Special Teams Coordinator Brad Seely
Napa Valley, Calif. – Saturday marked another successful day at training camp for the Oakland Raiders -- the team continues to work hard and improve. Special Teams Coordinator Brad Seely is focused on his special teams unit and utilizing a variety of talents -- he has a young, talented group, and Seely plans to take advantage of the depth on the roster to create a difference-making unit.
Here are the quick hits from his time at the podium:
Seely believes that every member of the team needs to compete, and likes the effort he's seen out of kicker Giorgio Tavecchio.
"I think it's just like every other position on our football team. We're trying to create competition and Giorgio is a guy that, he's an NFL kicker. Will he kick for us? Well that remains to be seen, but it's a competition and we're seeing who's the best."
Veteran kicker Sebastian Janikowski is entering his 17th season with the Raiders and appears to be in great form.
"He looks the same as he did last year. He looks the same to me as he did when I was on the other sidelines. He's a consummate pro and he comes to work every day, works at his craft. He's a good player. Glad we have him."
Coach Seely is considering all options to serve as the team's returner, but will wait to see more from how players perform in live games.
"I think we've got candidates. We have a lot of suspects. It's the same thing; we have to wait until the games start. Give a chance for some of our young guys to play. You look at a guy like Taiwan and you look at TJ, they've been out there. They've played. We really have a pretty good handle on what they are."
He spoke about the qualities necessary to be a returner, or be a member of the special teams in general.
"Well, I think football is football, you know? Amazingly, the best defensive backs are usually the best special teams players, because it's still football. They're still playing defense or they're playing offense if they're on the return team, so you still have to have those qualities that make them good players on offense and defense."
Seely stated the importance of having veteran guys on the team and keeping the pressure on.
"That always helps. Veteran guys, they do two things for you: They come out to practice, they have a better idea of what you're looking for and those guys have understood why they've been on football teams. And, pressure, the best pressure in the world is peer pressure. Those guys want to be good, they want to be good in the kicking game, so they're trying to get everybody else to raise their game."
