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Heat is on Raiders right from the start
100-degree temps greet players as they report to Napa training camp
By Bill Soliday, STAFF WRITER
NAPA — Camp was not a particularly nice place to be Monday if you were an Oakland Raider and you were standing in searing 100-degree heat waiting to check in to the Napa Valley Marriott.
"I've lived in Florida my whole life," defensive tackle Warren Sapp said. "I don't know anything other than heat. But this is nice and warm for Napa, I'll give you that. The first two years here it was like overcast and 80 (degrees) — just a joyous time."
"Texas is hotter," said rookie first-round draft pick Michael Huff, indicating by nightfall he intended to sign an agreed-upon contract believed to be for five-years and worth between $15 and $22.5 million. "It was like 105 when I left, so I can handle this."
The record temperatures that have struck Northern California in recent days were expected to dip down into the 94-degree range in Napa today when the Raiders take the field for the first of their two-a-day practice sessions.
Coach Art Shell wants to get a fast start with practices in pads for the first five days, but he said today's first practice would be in, what else, shells ... meaning helmets and shoulder pads but not full gear for themorning session.
Then, provided trainer Rod Martin gives the thumbs-up after measuring the heat index, it will be no holds barred in the afternoon. However, the coach said caution would prevail. No one wants to see another Corey Stringer incident.
The players say such tragedies are always in their minds.
"You have to," right tackle Langston Walker said. "Guys have died from it (heat-related circumstances)."
"We've been monitoring the weather since I got up here (Sunday)," Shell said. "I get my direction from Rod. If he says we need to back off, I'll listen to him. If the weather is too bad, we'll move practice to another time.
"But talking to Rod today, so far we look pretty good for (today). He said if we had to practice (Monday), we would have been fine."
Shell said all hands should be on the field for the first practice with two exceptions — one a surprise to the player and one a surprise to just about everybody concerned.
Both left tackle Robert Gallery and wide receiver Ronald Curry arrived only to discover they had been placed on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list — meaning they are not yet ready to practice.
Gallery strained a quad muscle last weekend while working out, Shell said.
"He's a tough guy, and he works hard," the coach said. "He was trying to get that loose oomph in and strained his quad, so we're going to shut him down a little bit."
The issue with Curry is precautionary. The receiver is coming off back-to-back seasons in which he tore an Achilles' tendon. The trainers want to take it slow before sending him out on the firing line.
The news came as a surprise to Curry, who, upon arriving, said he was ready to dive right into two-a-days with no limitations.
"I've been about 100 percent for the last month and a half to two months," he said.
Last year, Curry tore an Achilles' for the third time in his football career and conceded that he was probably playing at only about 80 percent.
"I had a scar that had to heal up, and instead of us starting at one month (after surgery), we jumped right in like I would be ready in three months. And I wasn't. This time I got with some different (rehab) guys, and everything was smooth. After six months I was basically ready to go."
As for Shell's decision, the coach said he was merely "taking my lead from the trainer. If he says we're going to take it easy initially, then that's what we're going to do."
Being placed on PUP at the opening of camp is not as ominous as it sounds. It is in effect a procedural move. When a player becomes well enough to practice, he can be removed from PUP at any time prior to the end of the exhibition season. If a player is still on PUP by the final cut, the team has four weeks to either reinstate him or give him his release. Neither Gallery nor Curry appear to be in any danger of having their injuries keep them sidelined that long.
EXTRA POINTS: The Raiders waived four players in order to meet the mandatory 80-man roster limit — RB J.R. Lemon, DE Javon Nanton, T Shaun Rose and RB Walter Williams. ... RB LaMont Jordan was excused from making the 6 p.m. arrival deadline because he was attending a funeral. ... Rookie RG Paul McQuistan came totally prepared for camp with a brand-new haircut. Gone was the redhead's mullet, and in its place was a virtual Ivy League cut. It will save work for Raiders veterans who haze rookies by shearing their locks in camp. "There is still a little left for them," McQuistan said.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_4092032?source=rss
100-degree temps greet players as they report to Napa training camp
By Bill Soliday, STAFF WRITER
NAPA — Camp was not a particularly nice place to be Monday if you were an Oakland Raider and you were standing in searing 100-degree heat waiting to check in to the Napa Valley Marriott.
"I've lived in Florida my whole life," defensive tackle Warren Sapp said. "I don't know anything other than heat. But this is nice and warm for Napa, I'll give you that. The first two years here it was like overcast and 80 (degrees) — just a joyous time."
"Texas is hotter," said rookie first-round draft pick Michael Huff, indicating by nightfall he intended to sign an agreed-upon contract believed to be for five-years and worth between $15 and $22.5 million. "It was like 105 when I left, so I can handle this."
The record temperatures that have struck Northern California in recent days were expected to dip down into the 94-degree range in Napa today when the Raiders take the field for the first of their two-a-day practice sessions.
Coach Art Shell wants to get a fast start with practices in pads for the first five days, but he said today's first practice would be in, what else, shells ... meaning helmets and shoulder pads but not full gear for themorning session.
Then, provided trainer Rod Martin gives the thumbs-up after measuring the heat index, it will be no holds barred in the afternoon. However, the coach said caution would prevail. No one wants to see another Corey Stringer incident.
The players say such tragedies are always in their minds.
"You have to," right tackle Langston Walker said. "Guys have died from it (heat-related circumstances)."
"We've been monitoring the weather since I got up here (Sunday)," Shell said. "I get my direction from Rod. If he says we need to back off, I'll listen to him. If the weather is too bad, we'll move practice to another time.
"But talking to Rod today, so far we look pretty good for (today). He said if we had to practice (Monday), we would have been fine."
Shell said all hands should be on the field for the first practice with two exceptions — one a surprise to the player and one a surprise to just about everybody concerned.
Both left tackle Robert Gallery and wide receiver Ronald Curry arrived only to discover they had been placed on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list — meaning they are not yet ready to practice.
Gallery strained a quad muscle last weekend while working out, Shell said.
"He's a tough guy, and he works hard," the coach said. "He was trying to get that loose oomph in and strained his quad, so we're going to shut him down a little bit."
The issue with Curry is precautionary. The receiver is coming off back-to-back seasons in which he tore an Achilles' tendon. The trainers want to take it slow before sending him out on the firing line.
The news came as a surprise to Curry, who, upon arriving, said he was ready to dive right into two-a-days with no limitations.
"I've been about 100 percent for the last month and a half to two months," he said.
Last year, Curry tore an Achilles' for the third time in his football career and conceded that he was probably playing at only about 80 percent.
"I had a scar that had to heal up, and instead of us starting at one month (after surgery), we jumped right in like I would be ready in three months. And I wasn't. This time I got with some different (rehab) guys, and everything was smooth. After six months I was basically ready to go."
As for Shell's decision, the coach said he was merely "taking my lead from the trainer. If he says we're going to take it easy initially, then that's what we're going to do."
Being placed on PUP at the opening of camp is not as ominous as it sounds. It is in effect a procedural move. When a player becomes well enough to practice, he can be removed from PUP at any time prior to the end of the exhibition season. If a player is still on PUP by the final cut, the team has four weeks to either reinstate him or give him his release. Neither Gallery nor Curry appear to be in any danger of having their injuries keep them sidelined that long.
EXTRA POINTS: The Raiders waived four players in order to meet the mandatory 80-man roster limit — RB J.R. Lemon, DE Javon Nanton, T Shaun Rose and RB Walter Williams. ... RB LaMont Jordan was excused from making the 6 p.m. arrival deadline because he was attending a funeral. ... Rookie RG Paul McQuistan came totally prepared for camp with a brand-new haircut. Gone was the redhead's mullet, and in its place was a virtual Ivy League cut. It will save work for Raiders veterans who haze rookies by shearing their locks in camp. "There is still a little left for them," McQuistan said.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_4092032?source=rss