The Oakland Raiders were back on the practice field Wednesday afternoon at their Napa Valley Training Complex.
Following the penultimate practice of training camp, quarterback Derek Carr addressed the media, and during his time at the podium he spoke about the return of wide receiver Rod Streater, as well as his thoughts regarding Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
THE WIDE RECEIVERS HAVE BEEN BATTLING
One of the most competitive and entertaining battles since the team arrived in Napa has been between the wide receivers.
While Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper have established themselves as the top two wide outs for the Raiders, Carr has been pleased with what he's seen from the rest of the position group.
"Just like you said, a battle, that's what it's been. These guys have been working their tails off. There's not one guy out there that we say, 'I don't know about that guy.' Whenever they got on the field, all of them can make plays. They all bring something different, whether that's the route-running ability, the deep-ball skills, them catching it and what they do after the catch, they all have something different. It's a battle."
ROD STREATER'S RETURN
After missing the first few weeks of Training Camp 2015, Rod Streater passed his physical and returned to practice Sunday.
Following Wednesday's on-field work, Carr spoke about the return of the veteran receiver.
"It was so nice to see him out there, more so just because I love the guy. I know it was hard on him not practicing and not being out here with us. I felt happy for him to be out there. Me, personally, having him out there, it felt good."
IT'S A GOOD QUARTERBACKS ROOM
Carr and the rest of the Raiders quarterbacks have continually spoken about how tight their room is this season.
After Wednesday's practice, Carr addressed it again and spoke about the help the guys in the room can provide one another, particularly during a game.
"They sometimes get a better view of something. They'll know what the play is and they'll know that I'm not even going to look to the left. They knew versus some coverages, I'm over here on the right and just so I know on that coverage they'll watch the left side. I'll ask them what they saw back there, in case we run so-and-so. They'll say, 'Oh yeah, we saw this and this.' Now when I go back to that, I'll know I've already seen it because they've seen it for me."
YOU WANT TO STAY CLEAN AND EFFICIENT
Leading up to the team's first preseason game against the St. Louis Rams, Carr spoke about the importance of playing clean football.
Now as the team prepares for their next matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, Carr's message remains the same, but this week he'd like to see a little more efficiency from the Silver and Black.
"You want to continue to stay clean but you want it to be more efficient. You want to make sure the little mental errors, we had a couple on offense, the percentage that we want to be at as an offense as a whole was just above our goal. We want to get that down. Some of them aren't drastic things, but they are things that make a difference. We want to make sure we clean that up."
BATTLING BRIDGEWATER
Carr and Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater were selected just three slots apart in the 2014 NFL Draft, and as such, they will probably be compared for the entirety of their NFL careers.
Carr spoke about Bridgewater as both a person and as a quarterback.
"Teddy is a great guy, very quiet. Spent time with him at the combine and all those things. I just know that he is a great competitor and a great quarterback. I wish him the world of success, except when we play him. I definitely root for the guy because he's a good person. I definitely respect that."
PRAISE FOR THE OFFENSIVE LINE
Throughout camp, the left side of the Raiders offensive line has garnered praise both internally as well as from the national media.
While Carr has been thrilled with what he has seen from the offensive linemen, he made sure to praise the entirety of the line, not just the left side.
"From experience of someone else, I've learned the comfort in having those guys as well as those two on the right. If you watch the game, they did a great job. We had some empty protections, five-on-five and I had time to sit back there and go through my reads. I'm excited about them. I think they're the best. Hopefully everyone else does, too. You need that, especially in our division."
