The Las Vegas Raiders held their fourth padded practice of camp and the eighth practice overall on Saturday evening. And, as we do after every practice, we bring you the takeaways from the day based on beat writer observations.
Las Vegas has the day off on Sunday but will return to the practice field Monday as the team begins preparation for the first preseason contest on Saturday, August 10th, against the Minnesota Vikings .
Saturday's practice was eventful. Not only did the team hold a scrimmage, we also finally had some movement in the quarterback competition , saw a potential new position battle emerge, and got an update on how a former first-round pick is performing in camp.
We bring you that and a lot more in our takeaways from the Las Vegas Raiders' practice on Saturday.
Raiders training camp takeaways
Who didn't practice?
Offensive linemen Kolton Miller and Jackson Powers-Johnson and wide receiver Jalen Guyton remain on PUP, while cornerback Brandon Facyson, wide receivers Tulu Griffin and Davante Adams, and tight end Zach Gentry didn't practice.
Adams is still away from the team due to the birth of his child.
Separation in the quarterback competition
Gardner Minshew orchestrated his best practice of training camp on Saturday, tossing two touchdowns and one interception and consistently leading the first- and second-team offense down the field.
On the other hand, Aidan O'Connell turned in one of his worst practices of camp, tossing two interceptions and struggling to move the ball against Las Vegas' stout defense.
We finally got some movement in the quarterback competition during Saturday's practice. According to Tashan Reed and Vic Tafur of the Athletic, Las Vegas is closer to a quarterback decision, and there was finally separation between the two signal-callers. Given the events of the weekend practice, it is safe to assume that Gardner Minshew is currently in the lead for the QB1 job.
Right tackle competition?
DJ Glaze has been much better than expected, as the rookie held his own with first-team reps last Tuesday and continues to stack solid practices.
Though Thayer Munford Jr. has been the presumed starting right tackle since the departure of Jermaine Eluemunor in free agency, Saturday's practice indicates that there may be a competition for the starting spot between Glaze and Munford Jr.
According to Levi Damien of Raiders Wire, Glaze received most of the first-team reps at right tackle on Saturday. Munford Jr. worked with the second team for most of practice but also got some opportunities at left tackle in the absence of Kolton Miller, per Damien .
Towards the end of practice, the former Ohio State standout returned as the starting right tackle.
Perhaps we shouldn't write Munford Jr.'s name in pen as the starter at right tackle just yet.
Adam Butler receives first-team reps
The veteran defensive tackle has impressed in training camp thus far, showcasing his diverse pass-rushing skillset and improved run defense.
According to Levi Damien of Raiders Wire, the 30-year-old received some first-team reps over John Jenkins during Saturday's practice and could be the new favorite to be the starting defensive tackle next to Christian Wilkins.
Tyree Wilson update
It's been an up-and-down training camp for the former first-round pick. Wilson had a solid showing at Saturday's practice, sacking O'Connell twice and showcasing the talent he possesses.
However, there has also been a disappointing review of Wilson's overall showing in camp thus far from Vic Tafur of the Athletic.
According to Tafur , Wilson still struggles getting off the ball at practice, and though he's in a better mental and physical state, the bar has been lowered. Tafur also adds that he thinks Wilson is still kind of a project.
“I wouldn’t say Tyree's has had a great camp,” Tafur revealed on the "Just Win" podcast . “I think Tyree is still kind of a project. All offseason we heard about [Tyree] having a great offseason and going to really take off this year… I don’t know if he's going to have an impact this year, which is fine because they have other guys who can, but for a guy who was a first-round pick, I think he still struggles at times getting off the ball... I wouldn’t say he has taken another step forward at this camp so far.”
UDFA wide receiver continues to impress
UDFA wide receiver Ramel Keyton had a fantastic second week of practice and is constructing a strong case to make the roster.
The former Tennessee standout hauled in two pivotal catches from Minshew during a two-minute drill to help setup a touchdown, and also made a nice play on an intermediate throw from O'Connell during team drills.
With Las Vegas' poor wide receiver depth, Keyton has a good shot at making the roster and earning playing time early on.
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