McDaniels: Hoping Return of DTs on PUP, Competitive for All

It’s a little bit tough when some of the players are on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list early on during training camp.

It especially impacts the defensive tackles as both defensive tackles Johnathan Hankins and Bilal Nichols currently remain on the PUP list.

“Hopefully, at some point here, they'll be back,” Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels said. “But feel good about the guys we've added. We have a great deal of competition that's about to play out here in the next six weeks at a lot of spots on our roster, and that's a healthy thing.”

This offseason, besides Nichols who is on the PUP list, the Silver and Black added defensive tackles, Vernon Butler, from the Buffalo Bills and Kyle Peko from the Tennessee Titans. Andrew Billings was also signed to the team. The Silver and Black also drafted Matthew Butler out of Tennessee in the fifth round.

“We tried to build the roster as best we could, to this point with that in mind,” McDaniels said. “We feel like that's the best way for players to improve and get better.”

McDaniels also says it’s important for players to not only compete with the offense but also within each position.

“I feel like that's a way for our team to improve and get better, is that they're competing not only with guys on the other side of the ball, but they're also competing with the guys in their own individual meeting room,” McDaniels said. “I think it makes everybody better and so excited to see that whole group kind of take form. But like I said, I think we have a lot of spots on our team where that's definitively the case.”

“We're going to give everybody opportunities and whatever they do with those opportunities that will dictate how we end up making decisions ultimately.”

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