Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast Training Camp Report #4

In our latest episode of the Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast, we offer you our fourth insider look at training camp from here in Costa Mesa, California.

Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Antonio Pierce / Darrell Craig Harris, Sports Illustrated

COSTA MESA, Cal.—The Las Vegas Raiders have come to California, Costa Mesa, specifically for training camp, and as always, where the Silver and Black go, so do we.

With the 2024 NFL Training Camp moving into the dog days, today we offer sour fourth Silver and Black training camp report.

You can watch the entire podcast below:

The Raiders are fortunate to have Antonio Pierce as their head coach.  Here is a partial transcript of his most recent press conference.

Q: Obviously you look at this rookie class, Brock Bowers is going to be the guy that gets a lot of headlines. But two dudes on defense that have been playing a lot, just kind of like the OTAs and camp now are Tommy Eichenberg and Decamerion Richardson. Can you just talk about their progress they've been making and how they earned those reps so far?

Coach Pierce: "Yeah, Tommy is a silent killer, man. Tommy has slowly each and every day gotten better and better. And I'm going back to OTAs and minicamp, and he's come right into training camp and picked it right up. I mean, he's put himself in position to be a backup or now a guy to get some playing time for us. We know what he can do on special teams, but his football savviness, his anticipation, his overall leadership. And I’ll love to see when he gets pads on what I think it's going to look like, I'm excited for that. But I'm really excited about him. Decam is another one. He's quiet, doesn't say anything. But if you watch every rep, he's right behind Jack [Jones] or [Brandon] Facyson, or whoever it is. And he's just taking a lot of mental reps. And then when he goes in, he's not making those mistakes. And I think we're doing a good job as coaches of spoon feeding him and not throwing him out there to the wolves right away, so he doesn't get burned and lose that confidence." Q: Through two training camp practices, has anything pleasantly surprised you? Coach Pierce: "Well, what I will say is this, I knew we'd be competitive. I knew the competition would go back and forth. but to watch our offense, for example, right, when they made some plays in the redzone, to see the O-line react the way they acted, to see our entire offense go in there and celebrate a touchdown together. I thought we would build to that slowly. I mean, but right away, they picked off to where we were last year and that's been really good to see, just those guys and that continuity coming together and enjoying playing ball for one another and enjoying the success of somebody else. Because it's training camp, right? They're fighting, it's dog eat dog, right? I'm trying to get your spot; you're trying to get my spot. But every once in a while, man, it’s good to share that moment together."

Q: I'm not sure if you've heard about it but Jack Jones and Robert Spillane both spoke up yesterday about the predictions that are going around as far as what the record will be for the Raiders. Knowing how fired up they are to prove that that's not who they are, how does that make you feel?

Coach Pierce: "Well, I love it. The best part about it, we're still 0-0. We haven't played any games yet and we control the games that we win and lose. And I think the one thing about this team that you'll see and it's going to carry out and you can see it in their personality is they have a chip on their shoulder. They play with a little bit – they're pissed off. And that's good. And as long as we control that energy into something positive on game day, we'll be fine.”  

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