Raiders vs. Rams Joint Practice No. 2: Josh McDaniels

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.--The Las Vegas Raiders are in the midst of the fourth week of the 2023 National Football League Training Camp, and today Coach Josh McDaniels addressed the media.

We have all of his comments for you to watch below, as well as the entire transcript for you to read:

Head Coach Josh McDaniels

Q: It seemed yesterday that a lot of players were disappointed by their standard with the with the practice went. What did you see and what do you hope to see today?

Coach McDaniels: "I think this is a normal joint practice. If that's what they said, then obviously they set a high standard for themselves and our team and we're trying to build to that. So, I don't think we would have ever assumed to come out here in the first day against a new team and just do everything perfectly. They're a good football team. They’ve got a lot of good players and they're well-coached. Hopefully we can see some improvement today."

Q: You're trying to build a specific culture. When you hear them being critical, does that at least excite you?

Coach McDaniels: "Yeah. Again, it's their standard. It doesn't matter what we talk about in the meeting room, or what I want it to be. At the end of the day, we're trying to hold a standard. But at the end of the day, they are the ones that are going to own it on the field. I think we have great leadership. They've done a fantastic job of trying to get everybody to play up to that standard and we'll see if we can meet it today."

Q: When you've got a guy like Davante Adams, who got banged up on Friday but was out here Wednesday. Nobody would have probably blinked an eye if he'd taken a couple of days off. What kind of leadership does that show when arguably your best player is not going to make any excuses about not being out here?

Coach McDaniels: "Yeah, he's a tough guy. He doesn't miss much time and hasn't missed much time ever. In my experience with him, he doesn't miss any time on the practice field and he's played in every game. That's their job, they know it. Davante is a great example for everybody of just a guy who wants to go out here and compete against different competition, wants to get better, wants to improve. He made a lot of good plays yesterday. But doesn't shock me at all that he would do that."

Q: What was the takeaway from Tyree Wilson yesterday? Just getting on the field and what you saw in his limited action? And how did his body react to being out there for the first time?

Coach McDaniels: "It's different when you’re carrying pads in heat and a little humidity. It's just different than being in shorts and a T-shirt and doing some workouts on your own. So, being able to lean on some bigger bodies and to pass rush and some of those things, you got to get used to it. All of us had to go through the acclamation phase. His is obviously going to be a little bit more tempo here as we go. Just so we can make sure that we keep taking steps in the right direction. But he came out and did what we wanted him to do yesterday, and then we'll go ahead and do the same thing today."

Q: Cole Fotheringham is a guy who just keeps making plays. I'm just curious of your evaluation of him so far?

Coach McDaniels: "He's a smart guy, he's a tough guy and he takes advantage of the opportunities that he gets. And made the most of them in the preseason game and continues to try to do that in practice as well. So, works really hard, really good attitude and mindset about his reps. Prepared every day, plays multiple positions from our tight end position and a little bit of fullback. So, trying to create some added value there, but Cole does a nice job."

Q: We saw you and Sean McVay talking a lot yesterday. How important in these types of settings is it to have communication with the other head coach?

Coach McDaniels: "Yeah, I think that's how you do a good one. That's how you can execute it properly. We spent a lot of time before that speaking to one another about how we want it to go and tweaking some things here and there. Spent time last night talking about some different things too. So, Sean's a first-class man and coach, and obviously he's got a great organization here. He runs a really crisp, clean practice. And it was great to work with him yesterday and I'm looking forward to it today."

Q: Might we see more from Michael Mayer and Hunter Renfrow today or are they're still in the same phase?

Coach McDaniels: "They're working through it. Like I said, they took a few reps yesterday. They'll be out there again today. Exactly what it is or what it isn't, we'll kind of see how it goes today. Today's practice is a little different structure than yesterday."

Q: Coach McVay is not just another coach, he's a friend. And so, you guys are able to evaluate each other's teams and give another look. How beneficial is that?

Coach McDaniels: "I think it's important to have a few of those across the league. We've done that from afar before and that was a little harder because he was on West Coast time and I was on East Coast time, but now we're both in the same time zone. So, it makes it a little bit easier to communicate if you will. And I think just: 'Give me your opinion on some of the things we're doing.' I'm interested to hear maybe some of his thoughts at the end of this week. We don't play one another this year during the regular season. So, it's helpful to have somebody else who's really really good in their field, be able to put eyes on your team, and then give you some positive critical feedback of something that maybe will help you. So, I trust his opinion, his judgment. He has been a great friend to me for a long time and I look forward to that."

Q: Along those lines, their quarterback [Matthew] Stafford's coming off an injury season last year. What did you see of him yesterday? Seems like he's healthy.

Coach McDaniels: "Yeah, I don't want to comment too much. I'm going to leave that to Sean, relative to their football team. But I have a great deal of respect for Matthew. Obviously, all he's accomplished in his career, Super Bowl champion, one of the best at his position. So, it's great work for our defense to be able to come out here and compete against somebody like that and looking forward to it today."

Q: Since Brandon Parker went down, it seems like Dalton Wagner is seeing some more time. What have you seen from him just as an undrafted rookie?

Coach McDaniels: "Yeah, he's really I mean --he's a big guy. They call him big country for a reason. So, long arms, kind of learning the differences between pro and college football right now, as all young linemen do. Relative to handling different body types, and inside moves and spins, and all the rest of that stuff. But, really studious him and McClendon [Curtis] literally are linked at the hip all day every day. From the film room, to doing extra work when everybody else is gone. Getting the -- making sure that their bodies are healthy in the training room. So, he's doing everything he can do to give himself a chance, which is what you want to see from a young player. But, very impressed with the way they're going about their business. And the more reps you get, the more opportunities you have to show what you can do. And so far, he's trying to take -- make the most of those opportunities."

Q: On the other end of the spectrum, you have a guy like Greg Van Roten. Obviously, he was brought in a couple of months after the start of free agency. So, what kind of progress have you've seen from him since he has started camp?

Coach McDaniels: "Greg's a tough guy, very smart. Kind of fits the mold of what we like up front. Aggressive, on the same page, good communicator, can play multiple positions. And just --he's a fighter inside, which is what you want. So, really good addition. Love the guy, in terms of what he brings to our team and the makeup of our locker room. He's been a seamless fit, offensive lineman."

The Silver and Black return to preseason action when they play the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 19, at 9 p.m. EDT/6 p.m. PDT.

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