The Oakland Raiders were one of the most active teams in the offseason this year and after bringing in a number of new players on defense, so far they have not been able to play as a full unit, as Mike Jenkins and Tracy Porter as well as other players are dealing with injury issues in camp.
According to Fox Sports, head coach Dennis Allen said that the defense is going to be the foundation of the team and while it was frustrating that players missed practice due to injuries, the team knows that they are counting on those players to be on the field come the start of the season. The Raiders have a number of new players in the secondary, including DJ Hayden, Mike Jenkins, Tracy Porter and Charles Woodson and so far Hayden, the team's first round draft pick, has been unable to practice in full contact as he recovers from surgery. Jenkins and Porter were also held out of practice over the weekend.
The report says that six starters on defense were out over the weekend and while that hurts for Allen, he knows other players will get reps in camp. Rookie Sio Moore is expected to start at linebacker after being drafted and he missed practice along with Lamarr Houston, Pat Sims and Vance Walker. Myles Wade was just signed and he too missed practice, as did kick return man Josh Cribbs.
Allen is not worried about the injuries now, but the issues could fester come the preseason and for a team in transition, that could be a problem. The team is looking to improve after going 4-12 last season and the training camp injuries are hopefully just a small issue for Allen and general manager Reggie McKenzie.
"Obviously (injuries) are a part of camp, part of the things you have to deal with," Allen said. "But it is frustrating to not have guys that you're counting on to be out there on Sundays be able to go through practice. This is part of where we develop the foundation of the team that we're going to be."
