As the 2011 NFL Lockout wears on, players have been organizing practices with their teammates to try and overcome the lack of OTAs and minicamps. A labor stoppage that carries into the late summer means the teams preparing now are likely to have the upper hand at the start of the summer.
Count the Oakland Raiders among the teams creating this opportunity for success. Raiders players have been organizing practices in Atlanta that have included over 30 players on the team, including team leader Richard Seymour and QB Jason Campbell. The Raiders are coming off an 8-8 season that brought a level of confidence to the organization not seen recently. These workouts should boost player confidence as they make their way through this bizarre offseason.
Richard Seymour has seized on the opportunity as the organizer of these workouts. The former Georgia Bulldog resides in Atlanta and has footed the bill on accommodations, food and the training staff running the practices. The trade to acquire Seymour cost the Raiders a 2011 first round pick, which some viewed as to steep a price when the deal was first made. However, Seymour has stepped up as a leader since first arriving in Oakland. He has been a leader for the defense and helped push the defense to new heights. Now he has taken the reigns of leadership for these workouts in Atlanta. While we don’t know what the payoff will be when football gets going again, actions like these prove the Raiders are getting a huge return on that trade.