LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Las Vegas Raiders are back in the building as players and coaches report for the first day of voluntary workouts.
The initial practice phase rings in the team's first offseason under new head coach Antonio Pierce as prep for the 2024 season officially goes underway. One of 24 teams league-wide to start voluntary workouts Monday, it comes 10 days from the NFL Draft kicking off in Detroit.
After the team formally met for the first time this spring, four players met with the media to discuss the excitement of a new offseason program: newly re-signed offensive guard Andre James, second-year quarterback Aidan O'Connell, linebacker Robert Spillane, and star defensive end Maxx Crosby.
“It’s been great," James said, describing the vibe at Raiders HQ. "A lot of energy, that’s what you felt, and we’re all just excited to back with one another, seeing familiar faces.”
“Definitely people filtering back in," O'Connell said. "We had a good group throughout the entire offseason that stayed in Vegas and worked out. Guys coming back, new faces, old faces.”
“It’s going to be 90 unique individuals joining the team with one goal in mind, winning a world championship," Spillane said. "I think we set the tone for that today at the start of the offseason. A lot of our core group of guys know what they want and are vocal about it.”
From January through April, some players stayed in Vegas and worked out together using the Raiders' facilities. The effort, which Pierce resulted in about 30 players participating in their off-time, was led by pro bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby.
“AP challenged me early," Crosby said." It’s not just about me. There’s a lot of really good players but the great ones bring others up. For me, I took that personal. We wanted to be here and work together and continue building what we already started."
Prior to the draft, the headline of the offseason surrounds the starting quarterback position. The Raiders signed effective journeyman Gardner Minshew to compete with O'Connell. The team is reportedly interested in drafting a quarterback early on in this upcoming draft, possibly even moving up for one.
While he blocks out the noise, the Raiders' incumbent starter as a fourth-round selection of last year's draft welcomes friendly competition with Minshew and whomever the team may draft.
“Coaches and administration want to bring in the best players possible to make the team better and the best guys are going to play," O'Connell said. "I’m just trying to do my job... Just based on the years of me playing football since high school, it’d be more foreign to be me being the unquestioned starter rather than competing."
News hit on Monday morning that the Raiders were signing former Bears offensive guard Cody Whitehair. A former Pro Bowler, the 9-season veteran has played in Chicago since being drafted in the 2nd-round in 2016.
In Chicago, Whitehair played under offensive coordinator Luke Getzy, now the Raiders' first-year OC. That experience can prove valuable as a plug-and-play starting option on an offensive line that lost its right guard and right tackle this offseason.
“It’s always helpful having a guy who’s familiar with the offense and familiar with the scheme and the system especially there in the offensive line room," James said. "Just to pick his brain and get some of the keys and information that he’s got for the long time he’s been there.”
The NFL Draft begins on the evening of Thursday, April 25. Channel 13 will have you covered with pre-draft Raiders coverage and you can watch the first round on KTNV.
