What the Raiders Need from Rookie WR Dont'e Thornton

“I wanted to see what Tyler [Lockett] would do. I wanted to get him on the field, see what would happen, and it's his spot. Because of special teams, not enough contribution, he had to go down on this one. It's just one week. We'll see what happens next week," Carroll said.

Thornton not playing against the Jaguars was undoubtedly telling, as he was a vital part of the Raiders' offseason preparation. Luckily for Thornton, he does not have to wait long to get back into the swing of things with Las Vegas playing on Thursday night.

Heading into the Raiders' Week 10 matchup against the Broncos, Carroll confirmed that Thornton will be back in the lineup. Carroll also noted what he hopes to see from the rookie wide receiver when he returns to action. Las Vegas' offense needs everyone to step up now that Meyers is gone.

"I want him to just play football. Just keep growing. He's growing every day we're together. He gains more experience and more confidence to do things exactly the way we want him to. He always has played hard, and we're just counting on him to just keep going," Carroll said.

"This is a great chance f or him to answer. It's a great chance for Lock [Tyler Lockett] to go ahead and answer, too, and help us out. And it'll be spread across the board. But I'm anxious for D [Dont'e Thornton Jr.] to be up. I did not like not having him last week."