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- 🏴☠️ "Oh, we are going to win a ton" — Pete sets the tone on the eve of training camp
🏴☠️ "Oh, we are going to win a ton" — Pete sets the tone on the eve of training camp
Takeaways from Pete Carroll's press conference on the eve of training camp
Jesse Merrick
July 23, 2025
🗣️ Quote of the Day
"Oh, we are going to win a ton. We are going to win a bunch of games. I can't even imagine anything else. I've been winning 10 games a year for 20 years or something, you know? I mean, what are my expectations? We are going to win a bunch, and I don't care who hears that. It doesn't matter to me. It ain't about what anybody hears. It's about what we do. And so, that's why expectations are really high. The standards need to be, so that the expectations can be met."
Say it with your chest, Pete! We’re still 46 days away from the opener in New England, though — so while the talk of wins is great, Pete knows there’s work to be done before we get to that.
📅 179 Days and Counting
Pete Carroll's been the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders for 179 days. A lot has happened since then, free agency, the NFL draft, rookie minicamp, OTA's, mandatory minicamp, but camp is where he'll really get a read on his team.
"There's a lot of information we have to gather still. We haven't been in pads at all, so the game hasn't even begun yet. So that's why camp is so crucial, and particularly in a first-time camp, you got to find out a lot of information about your guys."
The pads don’t come on for five more days, but Pete says he’s "jacked" to finally get a real look at every aspect of his team. And there are a few intriguing guys he’ll be keeping an eye on.
🔥 Let’s See What You’ve Got, Rook!
For starters, he wants to see what the young guys can do. We know Pete’s never been afraid to play rookies early. I'm a former receiver, so I'm a bit biased, let's dive into the offense first.
"We got to find out about Ashton, see where he fits in, find out about D Thornton and Jack, and see where those guys can contribute."
Again, we haven't had a chance to get a real look at any of the rookies in the NFL, but Ashton Jeanty has passed the eye test so far, it feels like he's the real deal. The eye popping stats and tape from college don't hurt either.
2025 fourth round pick Dont'e Thornton Jr. was a nice surprise throughout the offseason work. He consistently worked outside with the ones and will be talked about by all of us media folk throughout camp. But don't take our word for it. Jakobi Meyers also liked what he saw out of the rookie.
"I like him a lot, actually. I didn't know much about him coming out. But now that he's here, just seeing the different parts of his game, like, he's not just a guy that can run fast. He has some real receiver capabilities. I'm excited to help him grow and push him along and just see what he can do on the field when the pads come on."
It doesn't hurt that he's 6 feet 4 inches tall and can run like the wind -- the Raiders don't have another guy of note like him, so he brings a unique element to the receiving core.
Then there's Jack Bech, I need to see more from him. Not that he didn't do it throughout the offseason, he just never caught my eye at practice. I'll be keeping a close eye on whether he works inside or outside more often, there are so many guys who line up in the slot on this team so if he can prove he can win on the outside, that could be his quickest path to early playing time.
Regardless, I'm really excited to see how things shake out in the receiver room. You guys will learn, I love my wideouts. The battle between Tre Tucker, Dont'e Thornton, and Jack Bech will be fun to watch over the next couple weeks.
🧱 The Prototypical Pete Carroll Corner
How about on defense? It's no secret that Darien Porter is the most intriguing young guy on that side of the ball and as Dennis Green would say, the third rounder is who they thought he was.
"He met expectations for what we had hoped we would see. He's got tremendous speed. He's got a natural sense about him as an athlete. He was a receiver, and you could see that he's got receiving skills. We really dug in right from the beginning technique-wise, the way that we play our guys. We're very, very specific about how we coach our corners, and he fits the mold of what we're looking for."
We weren't able to be out there for every practice in the offseason, but when we were, Porter seemed to get a lot of run with the ones. My read is Eric Stokes will likely be the guy on the other side, but Porter and Jakorian Bennett will be a fun battle to watch for the starting spot on the opposite side.
Note: Awhile back someone on Twitter (X) suggested to me that Jakorian could be their slot corner. According to PFF, he's only taken 28 snaps in the slot over the course of his NFL career. I could be wrong, but if that was in his bag we'd have likely seen that by now. He's an outside guy. Darnay Holmes enters camp as the leader in the clubhouse at nickel but we'll see how that all develops.
⚡ Don’t Forget About Koonce
Defensive end Malcolm Koonce returned to practice back in May at OTAs after missing all of the 2024 season with a torn ACL. Prior to that he looked like a guy primed for a breakout year. In 2023 he finished the final four games of the season on a tear, notching eight sacks and 10 of his 17 QB hits down the stretch.
"It's going to be really fun to see Malcolm finally get out there. I haven't had a chance to really see him play yet under our system and style and all that."
If Koonce can pick up where he left off in 2023, the Raiders have the makings of a scary edge rushing duo and Maxx Crosby thinks he's destined for a big season.
"I'm so excited. Malcolm is on his way back from rehab and like I said before, Malcolm is literally one of the best teammates I've ever had. He's such a great kid. He's about to ball, he loves football. And he's a worker, you know what I mean?"
🚨 Who’s In, Who’s Out?
While Koonce will show this staff what he can do in the coming weeks, we're not so sure when Christian Wilkins will get that chance. The Raiders placed him on the active/physically unable to perform list last Friday and Pete Carroll didn't have a whole lot to say about his outlook as he continues his recovery from the Jones fracture he suffered in his left foot last October.
"It's still uncertain. We sort of have to wait it out.”
While we wait to see when he'll return to action, the Raiders did make some moves on the eve of training camp.
Who’s In:
S Jamal Adams
WR Phillip Dorsett II
G Antonio Mafi
WR Seth Williams
S JT Woods
Who’s Out:
CB Mello Dotson
WR Zakhari Franklin
WR Key'Shawn Smith
LB Jailin Walker
Adams is the headline here — He's a big name, and a former All-Pro player but he's only played in 15 games the last three seasons. He'll now have a shot to jumpstart his career with his old coach and makes for an interesting guy to watch throughout camp as he enters the safety rotation with the likes of Isaiah Pola-Mao, Jeremy Chinn, and Lonnie Johnson Jr.
📝 What Camp Battles Are You Watching?
That’s my recap of Pete Carroll’s presser and a few storylines I’ll be tracking as camp gets going.
💬 What battles are YOU most interested in? Hit reply or comment and let me know — I want to write what you want to read!
🔜 What’s Next
Keep an eye out for Friday’s edition — we’ll have observations from the first couple practices of camp.
🎙️ And don’t forget: The Silver & Black Sports Network Podcast debuts Friday morning on YouTube and all major podcast platforms!
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