Pages

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Oakland Raiders' Matt Shaughnessy back in the mix, but Denarius Moore hobbled ... - Marin Independent-Journal

Click photo to enlarge

San Francisco 49ers runningback Anthny Dixon, #24, gets tackled by Oakland Raiders Matt Shaughnessy, #77, in the first quarter of their preseason game on Saturday, Aug. 20, 2011, at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, Calif. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Staff)

The Raiders welcomed back defensive end Matt Shaughnessy for their mandatory minicamp Tuesday, but chances are they won't see wide receiver Denarius Moore on the field until late July.

Shaughnessy, who missed the final 13 games last season because of a shoulder injury that required surgery, was working with the first-team defense for the first time since the injury.

Moore left about midway through practice, pulling up noticeably on a double move near the sideline, dropping to the ground and then getting work on his right hamstring.

Given that the Raiders have only two more practices before shutting down on-field work until the first training camp practice July 30, Moore will have plenty of time to get back to full strength.

"He's going to be fine," Raiders coach Dennis Allen said. "We'll evaluate it. Usually those things take a couple of weeks or so, so we'll see where he's at."

Shaughnessy, whom the Raiders drafted in the third round in 2009, had a solid second season and a dominant 2011 training camp. During Week 3 against the New York Jets, Shaughnessy overextended for a fumble on the second play of the third quarter and felt his shoulder give way.

"I hurt a little bit, but when I went out and hit, I knew I was done," Shaughnessy said.

Not only did Shaughnessy get hurt on the play, but his fumble recovery didn't count because of a defensive offsides by Lamarr Houston.

Although overshadowed by the

midfoot sprain suffered by running back Darren McFadden and quarterback Jason Campbell's broken clavicle, Shaughnessy's injury was significant.

"It sucks, but those were the cards I was dealt," Shaughnessy said. "There's nothing you can do about it. You can't sit and cry about it. That's what happens."

Although Allen had said at an earlier OTA that Shaughnessy wouldn't be back until training camp, he was happy to have him on the field Tuesday.

"It's been along time since he's lined up and played defense," Allen said. "He is a little rusty, but it's good to get him out there and get a little work. The more he has a chance to get out here and practice, the better he's going to be."

Defensive tackle Richard Seymour thought Shaughnessy's absence hurt the most last year against the run, where the Raiders were ranked 27th.

"In terms of the run I'll put him out there with anyone," Seymour said. "He's definitely developed into a complete player. It was a big blow for us when he went down. It messed up our rotation. Guys that weren't normally in there were trying to understand what we were trying to do. To get him back healthy this year is big for us."

  • Seymour, Tommy Kelly and Shane Lechler, all of whom missed the last two OTAs, were on hand for the mandatory minicamp. Allen said the Raiders had 100 percent attendance, although some players were rehabbing and could not practice.

    Those not practicing included center Stefen Wisniewski (shoulder), fullback Manase Tonga (knee) and safety Mike Mitchell (knee). All are expected back for training camp.

    Weakside linebacker Aaron Curry practiced after missing the last two OTAs with a "soft-tissue injury."

  • The Raiders struggled with their punt returns, with Bryan McCann, Chaz Powell and Jacoby Ford all mishandling punts from Lechler on consecutive kicks.
  • There were lots of bootlegs and rollouts off sweeps for the Raiders offense, as the transition is made from more of a dropback passing offense under Hue Jackson to Greg Knapp's version of the West Coast offense, similar to the one run by the Denver Broncos for years.

    Fullback Marcel Reece, used sparingly during the last OTA after signing his exclusive rights tender, was a factor in the passing game, both as a swing receiver out of the backfield and down the middle.

  • The Raiders' full scouting staff is in town for meetings this week as they become familiar with new computer equipment and formulate a plan under new general manager Reggie McKenzie.

    The scouts included Raleigh McKenzie, Reggie's twin brother.

  • Raiders owner Mark Davis, who hadn't been around during the media availability periods the last two OTAs, was at practice.

No comments:

Post a Comment