Podcast: Day One Obsersvations from Raiders Minicamp

Our latest episode of the Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast offers our takes and observations from day one of Pete Carroll's first minicamp in the desert.

Las Vegas Raiders RB Aston Jeanty / Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

The Las Vegas Raiders entered the mandatory minicamp phase of Pete Carroll’s first season in the desert today, and the effort and productivity didn’t disappoint.

Our latest episode of the Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast offers our takes and observations from day one of Pete Carroll's first minicamp in the desert.

You can watch the entire podcast below:

Elandon Roberts is one of the key players who stood out in today’s mandatory minicamp, and the middle linebacker showed both toughness and brains.

Roberts spoke about what he is noticing now that he has put on the storied helmet of the Las Vegas Raiders.

You can read a partial transcript of all he said below.

MIKE Linebacker Elandon Roberts

Q: If you would take a second to be selfish, at this point in your career to be playing under Patrick Graham, to be playing in this regime and this era where everyone seems to be really bought in, how does that excite you, just the potential that you have for growth personally?

Roberts: "Oh man, it's not selfish. I feel like if I'm not coming in here every year trying to grow then I'm just stuck in my ways. This is an adapt-or-die business and stuff like that. And I'm going to always adapt. I'm going to always continually change, because these offensive coordinators in this league, they're getting smarter and smarter, and they scheming it up every year better and better, even week to week. You've got to be able to adapt, you can't be stuck in your ways. Seeing new things and seeing just new concepts across the league - I mean, even Chip [Kelly], man, I'm in the lab and I'm like, 'He will not get me tomorrow. Him and Geno [Smith] will not get me.' But it's exciting. It's exciting, and it's good. It feels good to be able to say, 'Dang man, the offense got us today. We've got to do this, we've got to do that,' because you get to winning and you think this or you think that. No, I like the back and forth because it's competition and it's fun for me and stuff like that. So to answer your question, I definitely, every time I come in, I'm still trying to learn. I'm still trying to think about how offensive coordinators are looking at certain situations, what type of situations they're trying to put us in, and stuff like that. Because it don't just make me a better football player, it's making me a better communicator to be able to communicate to my defense about the situation that we might get put in, so that yeah it's not me making a play, but Lonnie [Johnson Jr.] might be able to jump a route or [Jeremy] Chinn might be able to jump a route, or Maxx [Crosby], he may just not even - without getting a sack I'm like, 'Hey, quick game, quick game,' and he's got to get his hand up to bat the ball down. So, we all winning the down, just off communication. It might not be me making a play, but it's the Raiders getting off the field so we can give our offense another opportunity."

Q: You're being brought in as a culture setter, and Maxx Crosby has long been the heart and soul of this franchise and the leader in that locker room. Just working with him hands on now, what has that been like?

Roberts: "And still is. It's been great. And you just said all the things that he is, and me, what I appreciate the most about Maxx is when I got here and even us talking day-to-day, he's like, 'E-Rob I want you to lead. I want you to do this.' Like he's embracing me. So, we're embracing each other and he don't feel like I'm stepping on his toes and vice versa. And you just see like a true competitor and a guy that's saying, 'Look man, I want to win. I don't care about the individual, but I care about the team goals,' and that's just the type of guy he is, and I'm enjoying it. And like I said, this is the infatuation stage right? OTAs, new group, new coaches and stuff like that. At the end of the day, we've still got to get out there, and we've got to compete, but we're going to continue to take it one phase at a time. Now we're in the OTA phase, then we've got minicamp, then obviously training camp, then it's time to play real football."

We'd appreciate you following us on X @HondoCarpenter and IG @HondoSr and let’s talk about our observations.

Tell us what you think about our observations when you visit our Facebook page, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.

feed