The Raiders may be seeing one young pass-catching duo come together fast, and that development is starting to reshape the conversation around the receiver room.
Raider Nation Radio host Q Myers said on the Locked on Raiders podcast on Monday that rookie wideout Malik Benson and Fernando Mendoza are developing real timing, and doing it in a hurry.
“As much as I talk about Brock Bowers is always open, I’m never surprised when I see a Fernando Mendoza to Malik Benson pass. I’m never surprised anymore. That just looks like a connection and a chemistry that is really, really building very quickly, and you saw Benson on Sunday working with the 1s and the 2s,” Myers said.
That rising chemistry has come as Benson keeps climbing the depth chart. And with that surge, Dont’e Thornton has become one of the more intriguing names in camp.
A year ago, Thornton was the receiver drawing the buzz at training camp. This summer has gone differently. The second-year wideout has dealt with injuries, and some around the team have started to question whether he is even a sure thing for the final roster.
Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter said last week that Thornton could wind up as a candidate for injured reserve. Myers, though, still believes Thornton should ultimately make the team.
“Dont’e Thornton Jr needs to be out there and start working on that chemistry and establishing his spot,” Myers said of the former University of Tennessee speedster.
“This is a guy that I don’t think is going to not make the squad, but… where is he going to be on the depth chart when he does come back? Whenever he comes back from injury, because he has missed a handful of practices now.
So that’s not going to bode well for him. Again, I don’t think there’s any chance that he doesn’t make the squad.
But how far down the depth chart is he dropping?”
There is also the question of how much patience Thornton has earned inside the building. Klint Kubiak was not the head coach who drafted him, while general manager John Spytek may be more inclined to give him some grace after taking him in the fourth round of last year’s draft.
The other wrinkle is whether Pete Carroll wanted Thornton a year ago. It has been reported that Spytek and Carroll were not aligned on some of the picks in last year’s class, which makes Thornton’s backing in the building worth watching.
The Raiders are back on the practice field now, working to clean up the mistakes from their preseason game against Arizona while trying to build on the positives. Sunday’s practice, roster moves, staff changes, and fan calls and texts are all part of the ongoing conversation.
In Other News...
Khalil Mack Just Added Painful Context To A Trade Raiders Fans Hate
Khalil Macks departure still hangs over the Raiders like one of the franchises biggest modern what-ifs, and his latest comments only sharpen the pain for anyone who lived through the trade. The Raiders shipped Mack and a second-round pick to the Bears for two first-round selections, then turned those assets into Josh Jacobs, Damon Arnette and Bryan Edwards, a move that was supposed to reset the roster while giving Jon Grudens team more long-term control over the draft.
Instead, the deal has aged unevenly, even with Jacobs becoming a rushing champion. Arnette and Edwards never made the kind of impact the Raiders needed, and the broader cost to the defense has kept the trade in the regret category for many fans. Macks reflection on how the separation unfolded adds another layer to a breakup that already felt messy, and it is hard not to look back at that offseason and wonder how differently things might have gone for the Raiders if the relationship had held together a little longer. [Read more 🡒]
Maxx Crosbys Von Miller Reaction Says Plenty To Raiders Fans
Von Millers move to Dallas adds another familiar name to the AFC West conversation, even if he is now wearing a different uniform. The veteran pass rusher was a free agent after his season with Washington, and his one-year deal with the Cowboys brings him back to the team he followed growing up in Texas. For Raiders fans, it also brings a reminder of just how much respect Miller still commands around the league, especially among edge defenders who have studied his game for years.
Maxx Crosby is one of them. The Raiders star has been open about the influence Miller has had on his own development, praising Millers mentorship and the way he has shaped parts of Crosbys approach on the field. So when Crosby reacted to the news, it said plenty about the bond between two of the sports most recognizable pass rushers, and about how much Millers presence still resonates with the next generation of defensive stars. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Ground Game Is Finally Showing Signs Fans Have Waited For
For three straight seasons, the Raiders have spent too much time at the wrong end of the rushing conversation, stuck near the bottom of the league and looking for answers up front. This offseason brought a clear attempt to change that, with the addition of offensive line coach Rick Dennison and the signing of center Tyler Linderbaum giving the team a different look and, maybe more important, a different direction.
Training camp and the preseason have offered the kind of early signs Raiders fans have been waiting for, with the ground game showing more life than it has in years. Ashton Jeanty and Mike Washington have both flashed in the backfield, and while August can only tell you so much, the runs have at least hinted that Las Vegas may finally have something worth building on when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]