Tempers Flare in Raiders' Latest Training Camp Practice

Below are a few notes from Las Vegas' practice on Friday.

Raiders’ Offense Still Working Through Early Issues

The Raiders' starting offensive line is largely figured out. Kolton Miller and DJ Glaze are all but sure to start at tackle, and center is taken care of. Spencer Burford looks to have the left guard position pretty solidified at this point during camp, although anything can happen.

Las Vegas is figuring out its right guard position and its depth behind its starting offensive linemen. The Raiders' position battle at guard is hindering their ability to accelerate the unit's overall development.

Until the Raiders solidify each starting position on their offensive line, they are sure to continue seeing many of the issues that were on display during today's practice. They will use the rest of training camp to come to a decision.

Raiders assistant coach Mike McCoy recently gave insight into the process of establishing continuity within the unit.

"We're looking for the best five up front, and that's what you're looking for, the best 11, and that's what training camp's all for. You go through the offseason program with all the conditioning and teaching the system, and now you get out here and we've had a couple days of pads, and now it's time for the guys to step up to find out who can do what in pads,” McCoy said following training camp.

“And that's the big thing of understanding we're playing a lot faster now when you get in the pads, and they're all doing a great job, and all the O-line coaches, they're moving guys around to see what the best combination is, and then put guys up against different players."

Timing Is Still an Issue and May Remain an Issue Into the Season

The Raiders' offense is still in the early stages of integrating a new coaching staff and roster while also implementing a new offense. It appears it will move into the preseason for the unit to begin taking strides in terms of timing. For every big play the unit has, it commits a penalty.

There were multiple false starts on Las Vegas' offense during the team periods on Friday. The timing issues were not bad enough to slow practice down much, but they were noticeable, for sure. Luckily, training camp is the place to get those mistakes out and improve upon timing.

With fewer preseason games than in seasons past, it will likely take the Raiders' offense into the early part of the regular season to begin settling into what they will be this season.

FIGHT!!!

Las Vegas' defense has continued to put pressure on their teammates on the other side of the ball. The Raiders' defense has been flying around, getting into the backfield and making plays. Las Vegas' offense has made plays against the defense, but the defense has largely been controlling practice.

On Friday, Maxx Crosby made contact with Cousins on multiple pass attempts, forcing errant throws, one of which was an interception. The second instance led to a brief scuffle initiated by Cousins, which caused a brief ruckus on the field at the end of practice.

The Raiders have now had several practices that haven't been their best. Although progress is being made, plenty more needs to be made before Week 1 of the regular season.

That very apparent need for improvement factored into Friday's scuffle between the team's most critical two players.

Tokyo Toe Struggles

Raiders kicker Kansei Matsuzawa is in a positional battle with veteran kicker Matt Gay. In Friday's practice, Matsuzawa missed at least two makeable field goals. Neither of those two was all that close to going through the uprights. He did convert on a field goal of about 40 or 50 yards.

Matsuzawa admittedly has a lot to learn and is competing against a veteran who has been around the league. As the Raiders look to replace Daniel Carlson, who handled the kicking duties for years, they must decide whether Matsuzawa or Gay will be their kicker. Today may go down as a deciding factor.