Las Vegas got two roster updates from Klint Kubiak on Friday, and both centered on players who matter in very different ways as Week 2 of the preseason approaches.
The bigger one involves Dont’e Thornton Jr., who has been working through a minor injury. Kubiak said the rookie wideout is expected to get back on the field and should see preseason action “at some point here.” That matters for a receiver who is trying to carve out a role in a thin room and needs every chance he can get to build timing with the quarterbacks before roster cuts hit.
Thornton’s missed time is especially notable now, when every practice rep carries extra weight. The Raiders are counting on him to provide depth and some playmaking, and preseason snaps are part of that audition.
The other update was on cornerback Decamerion Richardson, whose absence from Wednesday’s practice had nothing to do with an injury. Kubiak said Richardson missed the session because he and his family welcomed a new baby.
That makes his absence a non-issue medically, even if the timing wasn’t ideal for a secondary that looked concerning against the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday. Whether Richardson would have changed that picture is unclear, but the Raiders still want everyone available as they sort through cornerback depth behind the starters.
The expectation is that Thornton will work his way back into practice this week and then get a longer look in the next preseason game. Richardson, meanwhile, should be back with the group soon now that his excused absence is behind him.
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Michael Mayer Could Be The Raiders Answer On Offense
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Mayer is expected to be part of a two-headed tight end attack with Brock Bowers, giving the Raiders a pair of capable options in a scheme that still wants to lean on a physical run game. For a team looking to build something more balanced and dependable, that kind of usage could turn Mayer into a much bigger piece of the offense than he has been in previous stretches. [Read more 🡒]