Earlier this offseason, the Las Vegas Raiders’ front office made it clear they wanted competition at as many positions as possible to increase the team’s productivity and number of wins this upcoming season.
General Manager Tom Telesco and Coach Antonio Pierce publicly and privately did all they could to improve the competitive spirit in the Raiders locker room this summer.
The impact of Telesco and Coach Pierce’s desire for more competition across the board has already begun to pay dividends, as there has been a more fiery vibe to many Raiders players so far in training camp. Through the first week of training camp, it has been clear that the players have responded to the call to compete more as they continue to bring the best out of each other in practice.
Pierce noted that while the most notable competition the Raiders have this offseason is the well-known quarterback competition between second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell and veteran Gardner Minshew, he believes every player who has had the opportunity to compete in training camp, has done a solid job of doing so.
“I think it’s wide open everywhere on our team, honestly,” Pierce said at training camp. “I keep saying it, it’s competition. I know it’s kind of cliche, but it’s true. Like we got guys that have played in the league, guys that haven’t played in the league, rookies.”
Pierce said he has seen the competition increase at many positions, especially the running back position. As the Raiders are set to open a season with a running back other than Josh Jacobs for the first time since 2018, Pierce said running back Zamir White, slated to be the starting running back, has progressed nicely this offseason.
“Guys have shown up, and I think everybody that’s getting an opportunity is making the most out of their opportunity,” Pierce said. “I mean, there’s some rookies there that we see flashing. And I think Zamir has gotten better, even late last season, his role and as far as catching [the ball out of] the backfield and blitz pickup. And that will continue as we get into the scrimmage and into next week’s practices.”
