Gareon Conley among Raiders not medically cleared to practice
NAPA, Calif. — Gareon Conley seemed an easy guess to be on the field Saturday at training camp, given the cornerback signed his rookie contract just in time Friday evening following a short drive from Oakland.
Guess again.
In June, the Raiders’ first-round pick missed the end of the spring with an undisclosed injury. Apparently, that injury was relatively significant. Or at least, it was enough for Conley to be one of five players the Raiders deemed Saturday as unavailable to participate early in camp because of medical reasons.
Conley, defensive end Jihad Ward and center/guard Jon Feliciano were placed on the physically unable to perform list. Outside linebacker Bruce Irvin and defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. were added to the non-football injury list.
All count against the 90-man roster, and each is eligible to be activated to practice at any point during camp.
Conley stood and watched Saturday’s first full-squad camp practice, taking mental reps.
“He’s a bright, young kid,” coach Jack Del Rio said. “We expect him back shortly. He’s on the mend right now; we knew that. We’re glad to have him here in camp. Obviously, being here around the guys and being able to hear and see what we’re doing and how we’re doing it certainly helps. … He was doing a really good job prior to having this setback in the offseason.
“It’s obvious that football means a lot to him and that he’s the kind of young man that’s really going to work hard to understand his assignments and his responsibilities.”
Alumni Weekend
Tradition is a point of pride for the Raiders.
This weekend in particular, it’s been on display.
More than 100 former Raiders are attending the club’s Alumni Weekend at their hotel headquarters. A number of events were planned for the group, including a Friday welcome reception, Saturday morning access to practice and a Saturday evening gala.
Those present included four Pro Football Hall of Famers: wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff, cornerback Willie Brown, linebacker Ted Hendricks and center Jim Otto.
Kenny King, a Raiders running back from 1980 to 1985, said that he made a point to finally come to the annual event.
“We’re losing players. We’re losing teammates,” King said. “When you lose someone, it has a sad effect on your life. … It’s always good to get together on a happy note as opposed to a somber one. Too often we find ourselves in situations where we’re going to someone’s funeral. We’re not going to a reunion where we’re just celebrating what we’ve accomplished.”
Contact reporter Michael Gehlken at mgehlken@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GehlkenNFL on Twitter.
