Raiders take the field for first time at Allegiant Stadium

Onto the field the Raiders walked at Allegiant Stadium on Friday, eyes wide open, the oohs and aahs muffled only by the loud music blaring from the state-of-the-art sound system.

On a day that can only be described as Christmas morning in the middle of the summer, a bunch of professional football players transformed into wide-eyed kids.

The big present they excitedly unwrapped was the $2 billion palace they now call home, with Friday the first time the Raiders set foot in the stadium as a full team.

“This place is a one-of a-kind joint,” said Raiders head coach Jon Gruden after the workout.

Said Raiders running back Jalen Richard: “I haven’t seen a stadium like this ever.”

As Richard and Gruden and the rest of the Raiders took a good look around, there was a lot to take in.

“The bright lights, the natural grass in a doomed stadium, the spectacular locker room,” Gruden said. “It’s a state-of the art facility.”

Said longtime Raiders center Rodney Hudson: “We’re gonna enjoy playing here.”

The occasion was the Raiders’ fifth day in full pads during their COVID-19 condensed training camp. But the actual practice was secondary to the significance of the Raiders gathering together at Allegiant Stadium for the first time

It was significant not just for team, but also for their season ticket-holders watching from across Las Vegas and the country via a live-stream link provided to them by the club.

“I can’t wait to share it with our fans,” Gruden said of the sparkling new facility.

With COVID-19 altering everything that is normal about a customary NFL training camp — including the cancellation of all four preseason games for all 32 teams — the Raiders faced the possibility of not getting accustomed to their new stadium until they opened their home schedule on Sept. 21 against the New Orleans Saints.

Gruden was apprehensive about that scenario, concerned that the awe of seeing the stadium for the first time would be a distraction as the Raiders prepared to play the Saints.

Needless to say, there was a bit of awe from the players upon getting a look at their fancy home. “They were starstruck,” Gruden said.

Added Hudson: “It’s all nice. They did a really good job with it.”

But for Gruden, the day was about more than that.

The entire process of being transported to the stadium and getting the lowdown on the nooks and crannies of the place— the place — new locker room, the training room, the path from the locker room to the stadium — didn’t need to be new to the players when they would play the Saints on Monday Night Football.

To expedite that process, Gruden came up with the idea of putting together a workout on Friday at Allegiant Stadium.

The wide-eyed grins of the players were eventually replaced by game faces as the Raiders got down to business. By no means was this a summer afternoon field trip to a fancy new stadium.

With the preseason completely sabotaged this year, Gruden and his staff desperately need to get an up-close look at his team in game-like conditions. Specifically they need a close look at the slew of first- and second-year players for which so much is needed for the Raiders to turn the corner in their first season in Las Vegas.

The Raiders have been in full pads since Monday, but the five workouts prior to Friday did not include full take-to-the-ground tackling. For all the talk about there being no need for preseason games, at the least they give coaches a chance to assess players under full football conditions.

Friday’s workout, while slightly elevated in terms of physicality, still did not include the element of actual tackling for the starting unit. However, the Raiders did end practice with a spirited full-throttle scrimmage consisting mostly of rookies and third-string players.

The day, however, was mainly about the team’s new home.

“We’re really appreciative of what Mark Davis and Marc Badain and these guys went through to put us in a place like this.” Gruden said. “I just can’t wait to share it with the city of Vegas, sports fans, entertainment fans from around the world.”

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore onTwitter