Raiders report: Return to practice ‘like riding a bike’ for tackle
Kolton Miller missed the first month of training camp as he recovered from offseason shoulder surgery, but he didn’t feel like he missed a beat.
“It’s year seven,” the offensive tackle said after his second practice with the team Wednesday at the Raiders’ facility. “As far as the sets and footwork, it all feels like riding a bike. So I feel good. Now it’s about just working in combinations together and working as a full unit.”
It was pretty soothing for coach Antonio Pierce to have Miller back and healthy, too.
“I’m not going to lie, I felt at ease watching big (No.) 74 go out there,” Pierce said. “But he’s done a really good job … being around and being vocal. Obviously, we’re talking about one of the better left tackles in football and one of our better offensive players on our team.”
Miller believes he will be more than ready to take his usual position as the starting left tackle when the regular season begins Sept. 8 against the Chargers.
“Obviously a lot to catch up on, but I’m feeling good,” he said. “It’s the most significant time off I’ve had and we have new stuff coming in, but I was able to take sets and it was just like before.
“I feel good. Just have to get the work in with the boys.”
Miller has been the starting left tackle for the Raiders since the opening week of his rookie year when he was drafted in the first round out of UCLA in 2018.
He has adjusted to several new systems over the years and is in the process of doing so again with Luke Getsy taking over as offensive coordinator.
Miller said he likes a lot of the run-blocking schemes within the offense, particularly some of the combination blocks he is asked to be a part of on a regular basis.
“Then protection-wise, it’s not too crazy,” he said. “So it’s not too difficult to pick up. It’s digestible. I’m really liking it.”
It doesn’t hurt that he is working alongside veteran Cody Whitehair, who played in Getsy’s system the past two years with the Chicago Bears.
“He’s great,” Miller said of Whitehair. “He knows the system and gets off the ball. He’s a great guy to work with, and it’s just about getting the reps with him.”
Eventually, rookie Jackson Powers-Johnson is expected to take over for Whitehair. Powers-Johnson also missed the first several weeks of camp as he recovered from injury, so Miller was working with him every day off to the side, meaning that transition should be smooth if and when it eventually happens.
Another difference Miller has noticed is in the cadences utilized by quarterbacks Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell in this system.
Miller said he has noticed several defensive linemen jump offside in practice and knows if the Raiders keep defenses guessing in games, it will make his job that much easier.
For now, it’s Minshew that will be calling the shots as the starting quarterback.
“I love him, man,” Miller said. “He’s a competitor. I know he comes to play from the time we played against him. I’m excited. Part of the reps are about learning where he’s setting up, and the timing has been great so far. Everything is looking good, so I’m really excited.”
Resting rookies
Pierce once again said rookie tight end Brock Bowers’ absence from practice was not a concern in terms of his availability for the start of the season.
“Just precautionary,” Pierce said of the first-round pick. “He has a foot injury, and we’re going to protect him.”
Linebacker Tommy Eichenberg has been out for quite a few practices as well.
“We’re trying to protect these rookies,” Pierce said. “The thing about rookies is they’ve been training since December. Any nicks and bruises, you just want to make sure they’re healthy.”
Also missing from practice Wednesday were cornerback Nate Hobbs, linebacker Robert Spillane and defensive lineman Tyree Wilson. Safety Jaydon Grant, who left Tuesday’s practice, was back on the field.
Powers-Johnson has been practicing, but Pierce said he will not play in Friday’s preseason finale against the 49ers.
Pierce has previously said he doesn’t expect Powers-Johnson to have enough time to make a case to crack the starting lineup.
“We have to ramp him back up,” Pierce said Wednesday. “I mean, we haven’t even had a week worth of practice out of him. We have some more practices next week, and then we have the Chargers week.”
‘Proud of them’
Pierce said the franchise continues to rally around the Paseo Verde team that is competing in the Little League World Series.
“We ordered a bunch of hats and stuff, and we’re going to keep rooting them on,” Pierce said. “We’ve been watching on all the TVs around the building, and we’re all really dialed in.”
Paseo Verde, which is managed by Raiders assistant equipment manager Adam Johnson, suffered its first defeat in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday and will play an elimination game against Lake Mary, Florida, at 4 p.m. Thursday with a chance to reach the U.S. championship game.
“We’ll be excited when Adam comes back, and we’ll have him do some pregame speeches because I guess he must be doing a good job of that with the Little Leaguers,” Pierce said. “But hats off to them. They have put a great effort in and really represented Nevada well. We’re proud of them.”
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
