Carroll, Raiders ready to get started

HENDERSON, Nev. — Pete Carroll has had the better part of six months to implement the changes he felt were needed to lay the foundation of the culture for success with the Las Vegas Raiders.

He’s brought enthusiasm, energy and a trust in his coaches and the players, particularly the leaders such as defensive end Maxx Crosby.

And on the eve of the start of training camp, there’s not turning back now. Either it’s going to work or it won’t.

“We want to make sure we pick up where we left off,” Carroll said Tuesday. “My expectations are high. We’re going for it and see how far we can take it.”

The rookies have been at the Intermountain Health Performance Center since last Thursday. Now, they’ll be joined by the veterans as the Raiders begin their preparations for the 2025 NFL season opener Sept. 7 at New England. The first of three preseason games is Aug. 7 at Seattle vs. Carroll’s former team, the Seahawks.

And while it seems like nearly seven weeks of preparation should be enough, the reality is the time is going to pass quickly. Hard decisions are going to be made between now and Sept. 7. Health, which was a major concern for the Raiders and could be partially explained for the team’s 4-13 record last year, is always at the forefront with any team. Already, there has been bad news as defensive tackle Christian Wilkins will miss the start of training camp as his broken left foot is still healing and he’s been placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.

Wilkins was injured in Game 5 last season and had surgery for what was a Jones fracture. He has not played or practiced since. He missed the team’s OTA’s and minicamp this spring and when he’ll be able to return to the field is unknown.

Carroll said Wilkins will be the only one unable to be on the field at the start of training camp. That he’ll have a virtual full compliment of players to work with and evaluate is a major plus.

That said, expect the Raiders to hit the ground running, literally. Carroll is an up-tempo person by nature and you can expect that to reflect in how his team prepares. We saw it at OTAs and minicamp. Everyone appears to be buying in.

“Either you have a philosophy or you don’t,” he said. “I’m staying true to what we know.”

And while he was away from the sidelines last year, he used the time wisely. Carroll said he re-evaluated himself, his way of doing things, his need to be flexible and yet stay connected to the values he has built a successful coaching career on.

“Las year was really valuable to me,” he said. “To step away and see things with a different clarity, it was really important to me.

“The way we set our expectations and how you’re a good teammate is the most important thing.”

Still, the Raiders under Carroll are still seeking their own identity. The next few weeks will go a long way toward answering that.

“We’ve got to find ourselves,” he said. “We have to find out who we are.”

To that end, Carroll will look to create competition everywhere in order to foster a battle-tested attitude and a team that’s will to fight every down and not be passive.

“It’s crucial we take the next step together,” he said. “We’ve got to make this as competitive a camp as we can. We have to make sure the message is clear and what the expectations are. What’s crucial is the buy-in. How much a part of this team do they want to be?”

When your best players such as Crosby are on board, it makes Carroll’s job that much easier. When he was hired in January, Carroll made it a point to seek out Crosby at his introductory news conference and spend a few minutes with him. Since then, they’ve had longer, more intense conversations and that has trickled down throughout the roster. The feeling is if Crosby likes what he sees anthers and he’s willing to work with Carroll and the staff to win, the other players are likely to do the same.

So as the Raiders begin the most important phase of Carol’s early tenure, they do so with everyone seemingly together in philosophy and commitment.

“The standards need to be high so the expectations can be met,” Carroll said.