Raiders: Josh McDaniels reveals one player he is 'fond' of so far in offseason workouts
The Las Vegas Raiders head coach let everyone in on something that's going on in practice.The Raiders are kicking off their mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, which is widely different from OTAs. In OTAs, teams mostly do position group drills and every now and then do some 7-on-7 stuff, etc. Plus, OTAs are voluntary, mandatory minicamp […]
The Las Vegas Raiders head coach let everyone in on something that's going on in practice.
The Raiders are kicking off their mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, which is widely different from OTAs. In OTAs, teams mostly do position group drills and every now and then do some 7-on-7 stuff, etc. Plus, OTAs are voluntary, mandatory minicamp is more of a mini version of training camp, and players under contract, unless given a good reason not to, must show up.
On Tuesday before practice, McDaniels was asked about one specific player, and he just gushed over what he has seen so far. He even let us in on something the player is doing that would tell us he will have a huge role in 2023.
"I'm fond of divine [Deablo]," McDaniels said to the media. "I think he knows that. And we're, we've given them a lot of responsibility. You know, he's wearing the green dot, you know, in practice, which is obviously a role that, you know, young players, once they once they have that on their shoulders, now they're responsible for more than just their job. You know, they're they have to communicate to everyone else.
"They have to be alert and aware of situational football because they're essentially the quarterback of the defense once they have that responsibility. So Devine has grown literally every week since I've seen him and known him. He works really hard at the game of football. I think he's embraced this year as a year that you know, is a growth year for him. Not only on the field in terms of what he does on the field, but also how he can impact others and I think that's something that you see from him every day."
Getting the green dot means you are basically the quarterback of the defense, and to be that you don't just have to be good enough, talent-wise, but you have to be good enough mentally. You have to be very smart. You have to be able to recognize things the offense is doing and you have to be able to do it quickly.
"I'm more confident in my job knowing what to do and everybody else is that's something that coaches asked me to do is to step up and help lead out there on the field," Deablo said Thursday to the media after practice.
Divine is entering his third year, and dealt with some injuries last season. but, the Raiders have high hopes for him in 2023. Linebacker is one of those spots that need some updating on the defense, but if he's good, maybe they can shift that focus elsewhere a little more.
I'd be interested to hear more about how he is doing in this role.
