Raiders training camp: Observations from Day 1, including improving health

HENDERSON, Nev. — The Raiders began training camp practice Thursday, which is sooner than most teams since they’re playing the Jaguars in the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 4, but they aren’t rushing things just because of the early start. “We’re going to go back through a lot of the things that we did,” McDaniels said Thursday. never getting comfortable.” • There were a handful of players who I didn’t see at practice Thursday: Running back Sincere McCormick, defensive tackle Bilal Nichols, defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, cornerback Trayvon Mullen and receiver Dillon Stoner and defensive tackle Vernon Butler, who were placed on the active/PUP list and non-football injury list, respectively, on Thursday afternoon. “We try to avoid the time frame and predict and all that because there’s such a difference between one player’s body and another, but I know all of those guys are working extremely hard and doing everything they can to get back out there on the field as soon as possible.” • The defensive tackle group was smaller than usual with Nichols, Hankins and Butler out, but there were still six players at the position on the field: Tyler Lancaster, Kendal Vickers, Matthew Butler, Neil Farrell Jr., Kyle Peko and Andrew Billings. “It’s a young but talented room, so it’s my job to bring everybody — not just my job, the room’s job — to elevate the level of play and to compete against each other, but at the same time create a true brotherhood where we’re competing and rooting for each other at the same time.” • It wasn’t on display much Thursday due to the lack of 11-on-11 drills, but the offense is growing comfortable in McDaniels’ scheme.