Fights tend to grab most of the headlines from joint scrimmages—and there was another one Wednesday that involved Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby and Rams running back Cam Akers. But there was a lot more to see during the first of two joint scrimmages between their two teams.
For this story, let’s focus on four observations that we noticed regarding the Raiders. Here’s what we noticed from the Silver and Black in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
1) This is an obvious take, but it must be said, because it seems many are overlooking star wide receiver Davante Adams—at least in the many fantasy football mock drafts I’ve been doing. Consider yourself lucky if you landed Adams in the second or third round, for those who already drafted.
Adams was dominant versus the Rams, and he did that with Jimmy Garoppolo and Brian Hoyer throwing him the ball. Obviously, Garoppolo isn’t Aaron Rodgers, but it’s evident from his stint with the 49ers that he knows how to give his playmakers the ball. And there were times that Garoppolo threw the ball a tad too high, but the 6'1", 215-pound Adams often came down with it. Adams’s large catch radius was on full display, throwing his body around to complete acrobatic catches in a joint scrimmage. The Raiders being bad last year, and the arrival of Garoppolo, has scared some fantasy football managers away from drafting Adams. Don’t be fooled, because Garoppolo likely will be feeding Adams often in 2023.
Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports
2) Speaking of concerns, many Raiders fans are worried about Garoppolo’s interceptions throughout training camp—you know, the time when it’s O.K. to make mistakes with a new team. From my viewpoint, Garoppolo didn’t throw an interception versus the Rams on Wednesday. Not only did he display chemistry with Adams—Garoppolo also had a few connections with wide receivers Jakobi Meyers and Hunter Renfrow. If the Raiders can get running back Josh Jacobs to end his contract holdout before the season, perhaps they could have a productive balanced attack with Garoppolo under center.
3) The Raiders activated rookie edge rusher Tyree Wilson from the non-football injury list Wednesday. For his first NFL practice, he participated in individual drills, but didn’t appear to be on the field for the 11-on-11 drills versus the Rams. Clearly, the Raiders are going to be patient with the No. 7 pick in the draft, but they at least got a glimpse of what their pass-rushing rotation could look like in 2023, as Crosby shared pointers with Wilson on the field. The 6'6", 275-pound Wilson was easy to spot on the sideline because of his lengthy arms, which span seven feet. Crosby put on a show against the Rams’ offensive line, and he might finally get some defensive help if the interior defensive line provides consistent push in the pocket while Wilson and Chandler Jones make plays off the edge.
4) Raiders rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell flashed in his preseason debut last week versus the 49ers, completing 15-of-18 passes for 141 yards and one touchdown. The fourth-round pick didn’t see much action Wednesday versus the Rams because he was third in the order behind Garoppolo and Hoyer. But it bodes well that the coaching staff ensured O’Connell got at least one series when both teams gathered on one field toward the end of practice. It was a small sample size, but he quickly got the Raiders upfield before settling for a field-goal attempt. He’ll likely get more action versus the Rams during Saturday’s preseason game at SoFi Stadium.
