Raiders head coach Dennis Allen updated the status of some of the team’s injured players after practice yesterday in advance of Fridays’s game with the Arizona Cardinals.
First, injured RB Mike Goodson, who was out with a neck injury following a very scary collision during a practice with pads last week returned to practice and is set to get his first playing time in Silver & Black tomorrow.
Goodson has been a positive force throughout the offseason and his enthusiasm for playing bubbled to the surface when asked about the game as he gushed, “I can’t wait. I can’t wait. I cannot wait.” Goodson appeared to be at full strength in practice and with both a CT and MRI coming back negative on injury to his neck he should be in line for a number of carries.
Wide Receiver Eddie McGee also returned to practice after sitting out for a time due to a hamstring pull. McGee is competing to be the final receiver on the roster if the Raiders take 6 receivers in the final squad.
Not all hamstring news was as positive, as both Taiwan Jones and Denarius Moore are still being held out of practice with hamstring pulls. Of the two, Jones appears the most likely to see the field first based upon his range of movement on the sideline and the attention of the trainers. Seeing Jones in the 3rd preseason game seems entirely possible. Neither will play during tomorrow’s game, however.
Punter Shane Lechler also looks close to returning. Allen disclosed that Lechler had a slight scoping procedure on his knee just prior to training camp and he has been working his way back into his routine throughout camp. Lechler usually doesn’t have much to do during training camp even when healthy so this is in no way a set back. He also will not play tomorrow but Allen said he believes Lechler will play in a preseason game before the season.
DT Richard Seymour (back) appears likely to play. He was held out of the first preseason game with back pain but it’s not considered a serious injury. DE Jack Crawford (foot) also returned to practice and should see his first game for the Raiders tomorrow.
LB Aaron Curry, however, continues to be absent from camp and there is no timetable for his return to the active roster. Curry initially showed for training camp and was put on the PUP list due to his own knee injury. The trainers determined that his rehab was not going as they expected and he was excused from camp last week to see a specialist in L.A. Allen disclosed that Curry is still in L.A. and will be continuing his treatments there with the possibility of him returning to camp as early as next week.
At this point it seems likely that Curry will start the season on the PUP list which means he would miss the first 6 games of the season, at least.
There were a number of other injuries that caused players to miss practice of varying degrees. TE Brandon Myers (shoulder) didn’t practice and may not play in Friday’s game. DE Jamie Cumbie (foot), FB Rashawn Jackson (hip), and OL players Stephen Wisniewski (shoulder), Ed Wang and Zach Hurd missed practice and it’s not known if they will be playing tomorrow or not.
Allen confirmed that WR Duke Calhoun and LB Mario Kurn will be put on IR to free up the roster spots but he did not know exactly when that would happen.
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