The Oakland Raiders training camp that starts on Friday has a number of questions to answer going forward and while general manager Reggie McKenzie and head coach Dennis Allen are figuring out what type of team they have, one thing they do know is that D.J. Hayden is ready to get off the injury list.
According to Pro Football Talk, Hayden was placed on the list after dealing with surgery to clean up some scar tissue that was left from a previous procedure and now he is ready to play and practice in training camp after previously being placed on the non-football injury list. Hayden previously suffered a serious heart injury that almost killed him in college and now he looks to get one the field as the number one draft pick for the Raiders this season after being taken 12th overall after a deals with the Dolphins.
Hayden will be limited to start with and while Menelik Watson is still on the list, it will give the cornerback a chance to learn and participate in drills as new players Tracy Porter and Mike Jenkins battle it out. The cornerback situation should be a strength for the Raiders after being a weakness last season and the addition of Charles Woodson to the team after coming back after years with the Packers should improve the entire secondary.
The team has a number of questions going forward and one includes whether Josh Cribbs or Jacoby Ford will be the kick or punt returner, as both possess fantastic speed. Ford dealt with injuries last season while Cribbs was likely signed as a specialists to return punts or kicks and now the Raiders have to figure out who does what and when. There is a chance that the two could split kicks and punts and change when needed, but it is more likely that one will beat out the other. Ford can be a dynamic player, but the team needs him to be on the field as a receiver and that is where he may end up since the team already lost Darrius Heyward-Bey this offseason.