PODCAST: 10 Issues Facing the Raiders Training Camp No. 9

Today is the day as the Raiders officially open their 2025 NFL Training camp, with veterans arriving and the season set to begin.

Our latest Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast episode continues a ten-part series on the issues facing the 2025 Silver and Black, and we take a fair but tough look at the need for stability at the cornerback position.

You can watch the entire podcast below:

Chip Kelly being added to the Raiders as the offensive coordinator, along with veteran superstar coordinators STC Tom McMahon and DC Patrick Graham, and a certain Hall of Famer, Pete Carroll, gives the Raider Nation one of the NFL’s elite coaching stables.

Kelly will shine, and the expectations of a vastly improved 2025 offense are warranted and fair.

Kelly spoke recently after practice about the Raider Nation and his thoughts on the state of the franchise.

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

Offensive Coordinator Chip Kelly

Q: You drafted two guys that saw a high volume of targets today in Jack Bech, Dont'e Thornton Jr. What have you really liked from them so far, and how have you been able to see their development? Coach Kelly: "They're learning, and I think Dont'e is unique in terms of he's just a hair under 6-5 and he ran 4.3. There's not a lot of humans on this planet that do that. And I think if you had a draw up an outside receiver, you would pick that type of body type, someone that's got length, someone that's got a huge catch radius, but also has speed. Sometimes you can get a big guy like that, but he can't really run, so they can stay with him. So, you add that speed element to him, his ability to sink his hips, his ability to get in and out of cuts. But for all of those guys, they're all learning a new system. So, some of them came from - I think Ashton was probably fortunate coming from Dirk [Koetter]'s system at Boise, because it's a little bit more pro-friendly. Some other guys are playing up tempo, throwing the ball all over one word calls and going, and so everybody's on a different level when they come in, and it's just a matter of them getting acclimated. And Chris Beatty is doing a great job with those guys, but they've both shown that they're good players, and we'll continue to see how they go."

Las Vegas Raiders WR Dont'e Thornton | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Q: Geno Smith's leadership is undervalued by a lot of people. But I mentioned to Greg Olson yesterday, can he be a blessing to an Aidan O'Connell just for what he's going to bring to him, his coaching and mentoring him and all of that? Coach Kelly: "Yeah, Geno can be a blessing to coaches. And I can attest to you to that. I think Geno is special. So yeah, I think you're spot on with that. I think he's got great leadership qualities. I think everybody is a byproduct of their environment, and I think how Geno came through his career - you look at the arcs of his career, being a high draft pick and going to New York, and then headed to San Diego, and then kind of almost restarting his career when he got with Pete [Carroll], but Pete brought him in as a backup, Russell [Wilson] was there. And then all of a sudden, earning the starting job, Russell gets traded, and now Geno gets to show what he can do. There's not a lot of guys that would have shown that resiliency. There's not a lot of guys that would have persevered through all of that. But I think you can look at him as a younger player, or you could look at him as an older coach and admire the journey that he's been on. Because it's hard to talk the talk if you have never walked the walk, and Geno has been in all those shoes, and I think that's one thing that really he can be - he's so relatable to everybody in this program because he's kind of lived that life. He's been a high draft pick, but he's also been a guy that has been told that a team doesn't want him. And so, I think until you actually go through that situation, it's hard to kind of fathom. But the fact that he's done it and come out and to be the way he is now is really a testament to him. He's special, and we're really, really excited that we have him."

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