Raiders camp report (731): The ‘Plus-30' Club

July 31, 2011GUTIERREZ ARCHIVE
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Paul Gutierrez
CSNCalifornia.comSaturday, July 31Practice No. 4

Summary: In the movie "Logan's Run," these players would have been, well, taken out behind the Napa Marriott and put down. In Hue Jackson's first training camp as an NFL head coach, they got the day off. Jackson called it the Plus-30 Club and any player over the ripe old age of 30 got the day off, save for backup quarterback Kyle Boller and running back Michael Bennett. Both of whom are fighting for jobs. Could the break have been because it was the day after the Raiders' first padded practice of camp? Most likely. In any event, it was another spirited, physical practice, even if the players were only in helmets, shoulder pads and shorts. Injury report: Receiverkick returner Jacoby Ford was nowhere to be found after breaking his left hand in practice on Saturday. Rookie cornerback Chimdi Chekwa sat out with his left arm in a sling a day after his shoulder "popped out" on a hit-and-wrap drill. Rookie running back Taiwan Jones sat out a day after a lower body "nick." Defensive end Trevor Scott (knee), offensive lineman Bruce Campbell (knee) and receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey (undisclosed) continued working on their own.Eye on reps: With both Ford and Heyward-Bey sidelined by injury, the injury-prone Chaz Schilens has taken advantage. He has been healthy and dominated as the No. 1 receiver on Sunday, going deep and beating Sterling Moore, Tyvon Branch and Stevie Brown. The coaches held their collective breath, though, when Schilens was tackled. But he popped right back up. Also, rookie receiver David Ausberry was impressive on a slant, along with Denarius Moore, who made an acrobatic grab.Extra work: In one-on-one drills, left tackle Jared Veldheer and defensive end Matt Schaughnessy waged a spirited battle. A year ago, Shaughnessy essentially had his way with the Division-II offensive lineman. But on Sunday, Veldheer more than held his own.Coaching moment: Much has been made about the up-tempo speed of the first four practices. And while the Raiders were not in full pads Sunday, things still get testy. Like when Louis Murphy beat Jeremy Ware and new offensive coordinator Al Saunders sprinted onto the field to get in Murphy's earhole. "That's," Saunders screamed, "what tempo gets here."Notable: The Raiders have officials working the scrimmages to get more of a gameday feel in camp. So it was amusing to see receivers coach Sanjay Lal run onto the field to complain after Nick Miller was absolutely mugged by rookie Sterling Moore on a deep pass and no flag was thrown. "We led the league in penalties (yardage) last year," Jackson said. "That's a fact. It's something that we have to get better at."Quotable: "There have been some great players that have played here and we need to uphold that standard, and that's what we talked about -- put on for this city. That's a song that everybody talks about. It's our turn to put on for this city and we're going to rep this city and we're going to do it well." - Hue JacksonNext practice: Monday, 3:30 p.m.