HENDERSON, Nev. — The unmistakable sounds of players crashing into each other, grunts and yelps could be heard all over the field at the Intermountain Health Performance Center Monday. Even with the music blaring throughout.
It was the first day of the Las Vegas Raiders practicing in full pads as Week 2 of training camp began under considerably warmer temperatures than last week. A sure sign we’re getting closer to the start of the preseason, which, for the Raiders, will be next Saturday in Seattle against Pete Carroll and Geno Smith’s old team, the Seahawks.
The tempo picked up during Monday’s practice, another sure sign that the first game of preseason is on the horizon. It’s going to be an important week for the Raiders as the battle for jobs intensifies.
One of those battles is at wide receiver where two rookies — Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton Jr., have both looked good and have developed a friendship together.
Bech, a second-round pick from TCU via LSU, and Thornton, a fourth-round selection from Tennessee, are making the coaches take notice with their ability to grasp the nuances of the Raiders’ offensive system quickly and apply it on the field.
Both players made big plays Monday. Bech scored off a reception during a red zone drill catching a pass from Aidan O’Connell while Thornton hauled in a long pass down the left sideline from Geno Smith for a TD, burning fellow rookie Darien Porter in the process.
“It's not only better for ourselves, but better ourselves for the betterment of the team, and how we're going to do that and accomplish that,” Bech said of having Thornton on the team. “So, it's been really good just having somebody coming in brand new with me to be able to learn.
“Me and Dont’e, we have a great friendship. We’re locked in. We came in here with Coach Carroll, we're his first draft class, and we take a lot of pride in that. We take a lot of pride in being a being a Raider. And we just can't wait to be able to go out there on the field. And our plan, our goal is to be here for a while, so we can't wait to really just go out there and do what God put us here to do, you know what I mean?”
Thornton said: “Oh, it's great. Me and Jack been locked in from the moment we got here, even when we got drafted like we both talked to each other once we got drafted and stuff like that. So, I say from the moment we've been here we've been locked in. And that's learning plays, talking about stuff off the field with just life in general.
“That's definitely one of my guys for sure. He a dog. He’s going to run through anybody's face. He don't really care about none of that. Like he's just a dog out there.”
Thornton said making plays at this level is doing wonders for his confidence early in training camp.
“I definitely would say I take pride in that because like my whole college career and especially going into that the draft process, the biggest knock on me was that I wasn't a true route runner when it comes to intermediate to medium route running, and so just being able to display it at a high level while I'm playing in the NFL now, I guess it's like a way of proving people wrong,” he said. “But I don't really care about proving people wrong, it's more so for me.”
But receiver isn’t the only spot both Bech and Thornton can contribute. Special teams coordinator Tom McMahon said everyone is eligible to take part on the team’s kickoff and punt coverage units and with their speed and willingness to take on contact, Bech and Thornton could find themselves on the field more than they think.
"Every player — and I'll just be cut throat with you, every one of our players is playing special teams,” McMahon said. “Every starter, every player is playing. So yes, every single guy right now is playing. And when you're watching practice, there's no one that doesn't play special teams reps.”
When asked specifically about Bech, McMahon said: “Contact positions, you know what I'm saying from that standpoint. A lot of receivers, play-strength wise, will struggle a little bit on kickoff return because it's a five-yard box now. The blocking is from five yards, where before it was a third-and-18 play, it's a fourth-and-short play now if you really study the play. So, you need big guys like him at play strength.
“He's a rare wide receiver that can play in the interior on punt, he's not necessarily just a gunner. So, I'd say his contact play strength is very good."
Bech said wherever the Raiders need him on the field, he’ll go.
“Oh yeah, 100 percent,” he said. “Physicality is one of my favorite parts of the game. We have the best special teams coordinator in the NFL in Coach Tom (McMahon), so whatever he needs me to do, if that’s front line, if that's punt return, kick return, kickoff, kick return. Whatever it may be, I'm all for it. I like going to get dirty. I like put my paws on people.
“Like I said, I'm all for doing whatever it is to help this team win and get to where we're going.”