Raiders report: Common mispronunciation cleared up

Foster Moreau and his family don’t get worked up about something as trivial as which syllable to emphasize when saying their last name.

But it does appear the NFL world has gotten it all wrong since the Raiders’ tight end entered the league in 2019.

Then-coach Jon Gruden often grinned with joy when talking about the talent and potential of (mor-OH).

Somehow it just stuck and most everyone from game announcers to fans would say it the same way. But that doesn’t make it right.

Moreau has started to set the record straight, first on former teammate Will Compton’s podcast last week and again when asked about it after practice on Thursday.

“For me, it’s a lot easier if you’re saying my full name to say Foster (mor-OH),” he said. “I get that. I understand that. It kind of sequences into each other really well. I’ve never really minded it. It’s never really mattered to me. But the way my dad always said it was like Morrow or (MORE-oh). So it doesn’t really affect me.”

His father Lyle laughed when asked about the pronunciation in a phone call after the news conference. He had heard the discussion enter the public consciousness after Foster’s podcast appearance and offered a similar level of indifference.

The elder Moreau confirmed the emphasis should be on the first syllable, but has taken the common mispronunciation of the first three years of his son’s pro career in good fun.

“The way we pronounce it is ‘Morrow’, but as he said ‘Moreau’ just rolls off the tongue when you say the full name,” Lyle Moreau said with a chuckle. “But pronounce it the way you like it and let’s get down the road.”

Good morning

Denzelle Good was on the field practicing with his teammates for the first time since tearing his ACL in the opening game of last season.

Part of his return included a reworked contract for the potential starting right guard. He was slated to make $3 million in base salary, but will now be paid $1.035 million in base with an opportunity to make up to $425,000 in incentives.

Good has made 43 starts since being drafted by the Colts in 2015, including 14 starts in 2020 for the Raiders.

Battle-tested reinforcements

Both of the players the Raiders signed earlier in the week played in the new iteration of the USFL.

Cornerback Isiah Brown and wide receiver Isaiah Zuber both competed in the league. Zuber led the USFL in touchdown receptions.

McDaniels said he liked that both players were active.

“It’s a benefit,” he said. “I think it speaks to the fact there are a lot of guys that continue to work hard because they want to achieve their dream of playing in the NFL and creating a career for themselves. There was a lot of good football played when you watch that league.”

Bring the heat

The Raiders practiced from 8:30 a.m. until 10 a.m., a bit before the heat reached near-record levels on Thursday. While sessions can’t happen in full pads until at least next week, McDaniels is still keeping tabs on the weather as he sets the practice schedule.

“It’s funny because I’ve studied temperature and humidity more than maybe I ever thought about doing,” he said. “When you look at it, you’re going to get these days and then you may get a day in the low 90s and then it’s different. I think practicing in the morning is the right thing to do for our team and we’ve tried to set it up the right way.”

The medical staff also gave the team a refresher course on hydration and heat-related illness awareness.

“We’ll be on top of that and continue to try to do the right things prior to getting out there, which I think is really the big key,” McDaniels said.

Transactions

The Raiders announced the signing of safety Matthias Farley on Thursday, also placing defensive tackle Vernon Butler on the non-football injury list and wide receiver Dillon Stoner on the physically unable to perform list.

Farley, 30, played in all 17 games for the Titans last season and led the team in special teams tackles.

The Notre Dame alum has played a total of seven seasons in the NFL, making a career-high 15 starts for the Colts in 2017.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.