Raiders Notebook: McClain sheds his walking boot

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Dec. 9, 2010 RAIDERS NEWSRAIDERS VIDEO Paul Gutierrez
CSNCalifornia.com ALAMEDA - Rookie middle linebacker Rolando McClain sat out his second consecutive day of practice Thursday with a sore left foot, though the foot was out of the walking boot he wore the day before. "I'm good," McClain said, offering no other comment.
Still, McClain also had his left wrist heavily taped.GUTIERREZ: Raiders' east-coast void "We feel fine about it," said coach Tom Cable on the chances McClain will play Sunday at Jacksonville. "Just trying to be smart, take care of the athlete." Asked if McClain's foot was suffering from an injury that would get better with rest, Cable nodded. "It is improving," he said. "It's just a matter of resting it and not keeping it as a negative injury very long." At San Diego, McClain, the No. 8 overall draft pick out of Alabama, had a statement game with a team-high seven tackles, including a knockout blow of Chargers running back Darren Sproles. REWIND: Raiders run over Chargers The Raiders are referring to McClain's foot issue as tendinitis, after first calling it arthritis.The Raiders' secondary seems to be getting healthier as well, as cornerback Chris Johnson (groin) practiced for the second straight day. "I'm working through it," Johnson said. "I should be able to go, though, I've done everything (rehab-wise), so I don't see why not." Johnson was injured in the game at Pittsburgh on Nov. 21. If he's able to play, he should be part of the Raiders' nickel packages. "We're working on that now," Cable said. "He seems to be fine and, as long as we get through tomorrow, I think we can get back to where we were."Rookie offensive guard Bruce Campbell was inactive last week for the first time this season. "Only because of numbers, you know, just in terms of guys coming back healthy and all that," Cable said.
Then how is Campbell's progress going?
"Well," Cable said. "He needs a terrific offseason, but I think he's going to be a dynamite player in the NFL. I really like him, and the more I'm around him, and the more I get to work with him, he can learn, he gets it, and once he has it, it's in there and it's locked down, and I like it. "His future is very bright." Cable said Campbell, a left tackle in college at Maryland who blew scouts away with his measurables at the Combine, would stay on the interior at guard for the near future. "I mean, we know he can play tackle, but when you watch that kid run and how powerful he is inside, sometimes anchoring down, he would give you some real stability inside there," Cable said. "So, we'll see what the future holds, but I like where he's going." Cable was the Raiders' offensive line coach when Robert Gallery was flipped from a failed left tackle to a standout left guard. The thinking? "I always kind of look at it like, if you have a small parking place and you're going to try and put a big Cadillac in it and sometimes it doesn't quite fit, you know?" Cable said. "And when guys don't quite fit in there, for whatever reason, they're not comfortable in space outside or they don't handle the length of it, meaning they're long but they don't play long, there's no business putting them out there because they're going to get tore up. "So when you get big powerful guys like that at guard, I think it really stabilizes your line. You talk about knocking guys off the ball and keeping the pocket in front of your quarterback, it allows you to do that. I'm not saying he can't go out and play tackle; I think there's a chance (Campbell) could. But I think his transition from college to NFL, this was definitely the right thing to do because his progress every week, you kind of walk off the field on Friday saying, 'That guy's getting a little bit better each week.'"The Raiders injury report: Limited practice: WR Nick Miller (ankle), WR Chaz Schilens (knee), TE Zach Miller (leg), DT John Henderson (foot), CB Nnamdi Asomugha (ankle), SS Tyvon Branch (shoulder), CB Chris Johnson (groin). Did not practice: MLB Rolando McClain (foot), DE Jarvis Moss (hand), S Hiram Eugene (ribs). The recently-acquired Moss has fractured his right hand, though Cable thought he could play Sunday.

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