Raiders report: Carr excited about plays for Mariota
TRAINING CAMP
AT A GLANCE
This week’s schedule
All practices at Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center, unless noted:
Thursday — Off
Friday — Practice, 7:30-9:30 a.m.
Saturday — Practice, 7:30-9:30 a.m.
Sunday — TBD
Monday — Off
Tuesday — Practice, 7:30-9:30 a.m
Quote of the day
There have been several hints throughout training camp of a package of potential plays involving backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, either with or instead of Derek Carr, to take advantage of Mariota’s athleticism. Carr insisted Wednesday he is fully on board with such a plan, comparing it to how the Saints handled the dynamic between Drew Brees and Taysom Hill last season.
“Trust me, I’ve been begging to put him out there so I can catch a touchdown,” Carr said. “Every time he goes out there and I go to receiver, I tell him, ‘Just one time, throw it to me. Don’t worry about (Jon Gruden) I’ll talk to him.’ I love it and I love Marcus. He’s awesome. I told him I think he’s running a 4.3 now. I think he’s faster than he was before he broke his ankle.
“The guy works his tail off[=. He’s been one of the best teammates I’ve ever had. When he went in that game and played so well last year, I gave him a hug and told him how happy I was for him after everything he went through the year before. Anytime we score touchdowns, I’m happy. Trust me. I’m just trying to hold that trophy up.”
Play of the day
Second-year wide receiver Bryan Edwards has been having an outstanding training camp. Wednesday’s practice was his best yet. The third-round pick out of South Carolina fought through contact to make spectacular catches downfield from Carr on multiple occasions.
One that stood out was a deep ball Edwards hauled in over Amik Robertson even though one of the referees working the drill threw his flag for pass interference. Minutes later, Edwards drew single coverage from Keisean Nixon and went up high to make another catch.
Carr said parts of Edwards’ game remind him of former college teammate and current Packers star Davante Adams.
“He’s running with the 1s a lot and making a lot of plays,” Carr said of Edwards. “He would have had another big catch and run up the sidelines if the (defensive back) didn’t hold him.”
New guy
A day after offensive tackle Sam Young announced his retirement, someone new was wearing No. 79 at practice on Wednesday. It was a familiar face to many football fans in Las Vegas.
Former Desert Pines standout Jeremiah Poutasi, who played three years collegiately at Utah, has been added to the roster. The 26-year-old has played 12 NFL games with eight starts, though his last appearance was in 2016. He has bounced back and forth between NFL practice squads, the now defunct Alliance of American Football and The Spring League over the last few seasons.
McCoy signed
The Raiders aren’t done exploring all options to bolster their defensive line.
After making major investments in the position during the offseason, the organization signed six-time Pro Bowler Gerald McCoy on Wednesday as another option to anchor the front four.
McCoy, 33, spent nine seasons in Tampa Bay, where he was among the league’s elite interior defensive linemen. He played in 16 games for Carolina in 2019 but didn’t play a snap last season.
The Oklahoma alum signed with Dallas in 2020 only to suffer a season-ending injury during training camp.
McCoy has 59.5 career sacks, including five in 2019.
Waller remains out
Star tight end Darren Waller missed a second straight day of practice, though he was seen working out in the weight room at the facility.
Edwards said he and the rest of the team’s pass catchers were told earlier in the week they could expect to get more opportunities in practice because Waller would be “down for a bit.”
Wide receivers Trey Quinn and Dillon Stoner and defensive backs Nevin Lawson and Karl Joseph also were missing from the practice field.
Rookie safety Tyree Gillespie remains out, though Gruden said Tuesday he would return to practice in the next couple of days.
Adam Hill Las Vegas Review-Journal
