Raiders planning to be without Donald Penn in Week 1

NAPA, Calif. — The Raiders’ offensive line has not been at full strength for months.

Its coach is bracing for the trend to continue.

Left tackle Donald Penn is expected to skip practice Thursday, meaning he’ll have missed all of the team’s training camp as a holdout. If the situation lingers into the regular season, offensive line coach Mike Tice is determined to have planned accordingly.

And really, he has no other choice.

“Where I’m at right now is I have to get us ready to go out and beat Tennessee,” Tice said, referring to the Sept. 10 season opener. “So right now, I have Marshall (Newhouse) on the left and I have Vadal (Alexander) on the right and I have David (Sharpe) doing a little bit more each day, playing both sides. That’s what we have.

“I can’t sit here and wonder when DP is going to come back. Right now, I’ve moved forward with Marshall on the left and Vadal is on the right and David is swinging. That’s reality right now. I can’t think that there’s going to be something else there until it’s there.”

The Raiders hope not to be without Penn in Week 1.

But if they are short-handed, it will fall in line with this offseason.

The team lost No. 2 center Jon Feliciano in June to a knee injury; not until Tuesday did he return to team drills. Penn began his contract holdout in late July. Newhouse flipped to left tackle, and Alexander replaced him at right tackle. Add in a couple August injuries to two rookie tackles — a high-ankle sprain for fourth-rounder Sharpe and a concussion for seventh-rounder Jylan Ware — with a Saturday injury to guard-tackle Denver Kirkland — and the adversity is compounded.

It does, however, come with some advantages.

There have been plenty of reps to go around. When Feliciano tore his lateral meniscus on June 6, the Raiders began to develop Ian Silberman into a serviceable center. He never played center previously. Likewise, on Wednesday, Feliciano filled in at starting left guard for Kelechi Osemele, who watched drills with a hand injury.

More experience for reserves. More development.

“We had a number of days when we were down to 11 and 10 players,” Tice said. “When you have that, you have the opportunity to develop your depth. In the long run, it’s actually a good thing.”

True. But having Penn would be better.

Notable

Wide receiver Amari Cooper participated in consecutive practices Wednesday for the first time since July 30-31. He returned to the field Tuesday after missing six straight sessions with an undisclosed left leg injury.

Renowned chef Guy Fieri continued an annual tradition of preparing lunch for Raiders players after a training-camp practice. The meal featured barbecued chicken.

Contact reporter Michael Gehlken at mgehlken@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GehlkenNFL on Twitter.