The Raiders Are Working Hard on A New Aspect

Following training camp, Pete Carroll explained how the relationship between Smith and Dont'e Thornton is coming along on the field. It will be one of the most critical connections the Raiders will have this season. Thornton gives the Raiders a tall, fast receiver, but he still has work to do.

Carroll Speaks

"It's ongoing. It's an ongoing process. You see, G [Geno Smith] is looking for him, and he's trying to give him chances to fit in and all that. We've done a lot of it in practice. The targets we've had in the game, we're leaning towards throwing the ball down the field by design," Carroll said.

"Geno [Smith] is trying to get him to come alive. Is he an over-the-top guy? Is he a back shoulder guy? What are his strengths? What does he handle best? So Geno knows how to throw the football to him, and so we're just trying to catch up on all that, and we continue to do it. 

"If you've noticed, you guys have been here, you've seen all the deep ball drills that we've done. That's to just develop a knack and the feel for the player and the thrower, and it's always good for the defense too, but a lot of offensive emphasis in that." 

Carroll noted that while talented and physically gifted, Thornton is still working on the nuances of the game. The Raiders recognized Thornton's need for development and have been patient with him, given that it is still his rookie season.

One example of Thornton's need for growth was his early performance against the San Francisco 49ers, when he had a chance at a long completion down the field. However, the rookie pulled up too soon while looking for the ball

"He did the other night, yeah. He put his eyes up real early, maybe 10, 12 yards down the field. He's so fast, you want him to use it to get him open as opposed to, is the ball coming? And so part of that is them getting accustomed to, is he going to get back shouldered? Is the ball going to get thrown outside and on the boundary? When he knows that G's [Geno Smith] going up over the top, he needs to be able to believe in that and be ready for it," Carroll said.

"So it's just a process. He has not caught a lot of balls in his career. He's an inexperienced guy in the program, but yet, he's bright and he's smart and he cares, and he's trying, and G's trying to connect it all, make it come together."

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