The Black Hole: Go Inside Las Vegas Raiders Football 2.0

Each week, Sports Illustrated's Raider Maven takes you inside the Las Vegas Raiders to give you quality information from his vantage point inside.

The Black Hole: Go Inside Las Vegas Raiders Football 2.0

I get a lot of nuggets and information that alone are not big enough for a story. When I have a few that I can assemble, I will, and when I only have one or two, I will post them on our community page. So, welcome to The Black Hole.

• One name that you shouldn't sleep on at all, and I am NOT predicting he makes the roster, is Keisean Nixon. But he is in the hunt, and he keeps making plays. Is Nixon perfect? No.
• Nixon makes plays and has a short memory. What does that mean? When he makes a mistake, he doesn't pout; he fights back. He has "It." I like him.
• Quaterback Derek Carr has had a great camp. Coach Jon Gruden loves him, and he is playing well. I realize that this doesn't fit the nation clickbait model, but if you were in camp, I could tell you that it would be clear there IS NO QB controversy.
• If you don't like Derek, he probably wouldn't like you either. But if you are saying there is a controversy, you are either willfully ignorant or just working for a national media outlet seeking clicks.
• Amid a heatwave, every single fake Carr had to make after handing off Tuesday, he did at 100% full speed. EVERY ONE. Because he is the number one QB he takes the bulk of the reps, that is a lot of extra work, but his teammates saw it.
• Arden Key is playing out of his mind. He is flourishing under Rod Marinelli. He listens, gives 100 percent effort, and doesn't repeat mistakes. He is playing like a starter. Will he? Who knows, but he is playing with confidence and looks agile, hostile, and mobile.
• The defensive line right now is surging. Perhaps Rod Marinelli was the most significant addition to this team. Those players laugh with him and work for him. Get ready Raider Nation, if what we see in camp transfer to the season, the Raiders will catch several teams napping.
• Tight end Darren Waller is a Pro Bowl player, he should be, and he is a flat out ballplayer. Today, I watched him work as a tactician on his blocking. I won't give details that could hurt the Raiders, but he takes space when he blocks.  That might not seem like much to many of you, but ask those who know the game.  Football is a game of inches and when you have a tight end who takes up space, that is enormous.
• I can tell you this: the Raiders' tight ends are better because they get to see him work. He is humble and hungry. People love to talk about people's past; I love to talk about their futures. On and off the field, Waller is a superb person, and I don't care what team you root for, if you are human, you should be a Waller fan.
• I don't care what Waller did, he pulled himself up, and if he is not the best tight end walking the planet right now, I don't know who is.
• I think one of his best traits is that he is a listener. I watched him work on his foot placement today, and it was fascinating.  He loves being coached and he listens.
• On his own, he spent significant time working on three inches with his footwork.
• Another example of Waller was a ball placed where only he could get it. He looked like Michael Jordan skying up for the ball.
• I have no idea how high up he was, but it was easily above a basketball rim.
• His hands are so soft; if the ball gets near him, he catches it.
• Speaking of soft hands:  Let's talk Bryan Edwards. I will make this prediction right now: If he is not a starter by Week 1, he will be by the end of the season. There is an adage in football that the best ability is availability.  He is.
• He is always making plays.
• Lynn Bowden did a lot of things in college. This isn't college. This is the NFL, and it is hard to make plays on your back. Jon Gruden demands toughness from everyone, and if you are going to play running back for the Raiders, you better be able to block and get off a block.
• He is young, and I like him, but this is reality.
• Bowden is a tough player and is electric with the ball.  But without the ball is where he has to improve.  Give him time, he has a great work ethic and will adjust.  He is a special player with the ball in his hands.
• Veteran Erik Harris gave Bowden a welcome to the NFL rookie moment today. All I have to say is that if he were kind, he would have asked the rookie if he wanted some syrup because he got pancaked.
• Josh Jacobs is playing like a boss. His effort is excellent, his attitude is exceptional, and despite all of the accolades, he is hungry. Every time I see him, I am more impressed. Today I saw him with a manager, someone he didn't have to treat well, stop and help the man in the middle of a hot practice. How you treat people who can do nothing for you is called character. Josh Jacobs is a great football player. But he is a better man. His family raised him right, and the sky is the limit for someone with that talent and that character. Well done, Josh.
• OK, a name you probably don't hear a lot, but the guy is working his tail off is Jalen Richard. You can tell he is a guy who knows he isn't a guarantee on the roster, and he is working hard.
• Who knows if he makes the team. It certainly is fair to question, but he belongs in this league.
• Richard is a classic example of why COVID-19 is wrecking careers. Richard has been in this league for some time. He will be OK, but young players who deserve to stay, with no preseason film, are in trouble.
• Devontae Booker is another guy battling for a spot.
• I can tell you this, he is dominant at the point of attack. He doesn't hit people. He assaults them. He plays with zero fear. While certainly not the same size, he reminds me of former NFL great Cory Schlesinger when he blocks. Cory was a fullback, but Booker blocks with that type of veracity.
• Alec Ingold reminds me of the old-time, leather helmet wearing football players.
• He just loves the game. There is little he can't do and won't do. I love watching him practice. The way he works, the way he smiles, he loves playing the game.
• Take the paycheck from Ingold, and he would be playing in a cow pasture in Wisconsin. A great player with no ego.
• William Stanback is another running back. He is so consistent. I keep getting asked how many wide receivers do the Raiders keep and how many running backs.
• I am telling you people, they are loaded.
• Stanback's consistency sticks out, but if Bowden plays both spots, who won't make it?
• As stated previously, some outstanding players will play on Sundays for other NFL teams because the Raiders can't keep them. That is all you need to know about the 2020 version of the Silver and Black.
• Derek Carr hit a lot of guys in stride on Tuesday. Most fans don't understand how vital that is. A pass that isn't ahead of a guy makes him slow down, which helps the defense. But when you can lead and hit a guy in stride, it turns a three- or four-yard gain into a 15-yard gain. As stated earlier, Carr has had a fantastic camp. He throws hundreds of balls a day, and he is not 100%, but he is at 95%, and the competition isn't close. He came into camp in shape.
• Say what you want about Carr, he is ready to make some people look silly. He knows the weapons he has, and to me, he seems hungry.
• That is a character trait when it is clear the guy's job is safe.
• Zay Jones has fantastic vision, the way he sees the field and maneuvers in and out of congestion while never moving his head. He is so disciplined, vision wise. There is so much about football that many people miss. These men make it looked easy on television, but when you watch Jones, the way he maneuvers and trusts his instinct while keeping his eyes on target tells me his football IQ is high, and his peripheral vision is uncanny.
• Do you remember the late great George Perles? He and I were very close, and I remain close to his family today. He was the inventor of the stunt 4-3 defense (the Steel Curtain) of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was famous for saying, "Good things happen when you shut up and do your job."
• He told me: "Mean Joe Greene was the best football player of all time. He shut up, did his job, and was great."
• I keep thinking of George when I watch Hunter Renfrow. He makes his job look effortless, keeps his mouth shut, and just produces. Hunter Renfrow is only in competition with Alec Ingold as the best player no one talks about, other than Sports Illustrated's Raider Maven.
• Twice on Tuesday, Derek Carr hooked up with Henry Ruggs III on passes that in the air went more than 55 yards. Again, they went into tight windows. I would bet many of his critics couldn't spit into an 18-inch window at five feet, let along throw with a significant wind over 55 yards into an 18-inch window.
• Here is something that Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden won't get enough credit for. They have brought in a ton of high character men as free agents. Those free agents aren't dumb. They know this team is really deep, and young players (and in many cases cheaper) are pushing them for spots. But they keep teaching and helping. I have been around football for a long time. The Raiders are one of the complete teams as far as unity that I have seen. Sure, being stuck at home during COVID-19 might have helped, but give owner Mark Davis and his team of management credit.
• Be proud of that Raider Nation.

I have so many more notes, and I promise that I will get them all in. Our "Black Hole" articles will happen once a week. Perhaps during training camp, we can expand it to twice per week. I have a lot more to tell you, but I am already on five pages.

Let's try again later in the week. I will let you know via social media. @HondoCarpenter 

I can tell you this, Raider Nation has a ton to be excited about. This article is already long, or I could give you many more reasons and players to be passionate about. Keep your eyes out for the next "Black Hole." Please tell your friends about it.