HENDERSON, Nev. - The Raiders’ first training camp under Klint Kubiak opened with heat, energy and a message that didn’t leave much room for fluff.
With the rest of the Las Vegas roster arriving, camp finally shifted into full gear in the Vegas Valley, where the temperature hit 113 degrees and the mood around team headquarters felt a little like the first day of school. But there was no grandstanding attached to it.
No big promises. No staged optimism.
Just a clear push toward something the Raiders have been trying to find for years: a real identity.
Kubiak, speaking for the first time in training camp as a head coach, kept it simple when asked about the standard he wants to set.
"Team first approach is the number one thing that we're going to talk about. We talked about it all offseason, but removing the word 'I' from our verbiage as much as possible and thinking about the team. How we can make the team better, players, coaches, administrators, and just trying to keep the 'I' out of the building as much as possible."
That tone carried through the rest of his update, especially when the conversation turned to health. There had been plenty of concern around certain players entering camp, some of it legitimate and some of it driven by the usual summer noise. Kubiak shut that down quickly.
"We are. Everyone's going to be practicing tomorrow. Yes."
Among the most important names in that group is McCoy, who is set to be on the field tomorrow as well. The Raiders had already indicated after minicamp that he was ready, and that remains the plan heading into camp.
Kubiak said the team will ease him in carefully while keeping a close eye on how his recovery responds to the workload.
"Yeah, the plan is to get him reps early and see how he responds in his recovery. It is a moving target with him.
He's a guy that's worked extremely hard and has been dedicated to the program that we've put in front of him. Jermod hasn’t played football in a year, and we're aware of that, but he's ready to go practice tomorrow.
We’re also going to be really smart with him and develop him the right way."
For a team trying to reset its culture, that blend of discipline, clarity and caution was the day’s biggest takeaway.
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