Raiders report: Quarterback switch affects center Andre James
Perhaps no player on the Raiders faces a bigger adjustment as a result of this week’s quarterback switch than center Andre James.
The snap between the center and quarterback often gets taken for granted until it goes wrong. So now that he will be snapping the ball to Jarrett Stidham instead of Derek Carr, James is doing what he can to be prepared.
“It’s a lot different,” James said. “The cadence, the placement of the hands, all that stuff is different because every quarterback is unique in that regard and communication is so important to making sure it’s smooth. Me and (Stidham) have been talking all week.”
While Stidham has proven his passing ability to his teammates in the preseason and on the practice field, there is an additional skill set involved when the title of starting quarterback is thrust upon someone.
James is confident in what Stidham offers beyond the basics of playing the position.
“He’s a great leader,” James said. “He’s got that type of personality where guys are just going to naturally flock to him. We got some really good work in the preseason, so we’re familiar enough with one another.”
That doesn’t mean James isn’t dealing with the emotions of no longer snapping the ball to Carr, who has been the starting quarterback in every regular-season game in which James has played.
“We talked for a while,” James said of a conversation he had with Carr after the move was announced. “You can’t replace a guy like that. There’s not many bonds like a center-quarterback bond. Me and him are super close, so it’s hard to see him go.
“It’s definitely a weird process. We miss him … but all we can do is move forward the best we can.”
Another starter on IR
The Raiders put their third defensive starter on injured reserve in the past two days.
Cornerback Rock Ya-Sin will miss the rest of the season after he went on the list Thursday. He hadn’t played since leaving the Dec. 4 win over the Chargers with a knee injury.
Ya-Sin got in a limited practice Wednesday, but the decision was made to shut him down with two games remaining.
Linebacker Denzel Perryman and defensive end Chandler Jones were placed on injured reserve Wednesday.
Injury report
Carr is still listed on the team’s injury report as a nonparticipant because of personal reasons. He left the team after Wednesday’s decision to bench him, and his status isn’t expected to change.
Offensive tackle Jackson Barton (back) and running back Zamir White (ankle) were the only players listed as limited participants for Thursday’s practice.
Starting offensive guard Alex Bars (knee) and cornerback Nate Hobbs (quadricep) practiced fully.
The 49ers got good news on two key players. Defensive lineman Nick Bosa returned to practice after missing Wednesday with an illness, and wide receiver Deebo Samuel (ankle, knee) and defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw (knee) had limited practices after sitting out Wednesday.
Samuel hasn’t played since Dec. 11. Kinlaw returned last week and played 16 snaps after being out since September.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.