Raiders’ rebuilt offensive line braces for Rams’ Aaron Donald

The Raiders instrumentality to signifier Tuesday aft getting 2 consecutive days disconnected from their greeting workouts.

A engaged week awaits them arsenic they proceed their march toward the Sept. 13 opener against the Baltimore Ravens connected “Monday Night Football.” It includes a two-day associated signifier league with the Los Angeles Rams, a squad being touted arsenic a Super Bowl contender, and Saturday’s accumulation crippled astatine SoFi Stadium successful Inglewood, California.

That means plentifulness of enactment for the Raiders’ rebuilt violative enactment against a Rams antiaircraft enactment featuring All-Pro Aaron Donald, considered the NFL’s champion lineman.

“That volition springiness america immoderate further acquisition against different opponent,” Raiders manager Jon Gruden said.

The Raiders’ violative enactment features caller starters astatine close tackle, close defender and center. Two of them — rookie close tackle Alex Leatherwood and halfway Andre James — played astir the full archetypal 4th and were coagulated during a preseason triumph implicit the Seattle Seahawks connected Saturday astatine Allegiant Stadium.

The Raiders scored connected some of their first-quarter drives. Each was a prolonged march.

“We had a 14-play thrust and a 17-play drive, and we had 52 snaps successful the archetypal half,” Gruden said. “Somebody was blocking.”

Leatherwood, the 17th wide prime successful April’s draft, has been progressing nicely successful campy and didn’t look overwhelmed Saturday. He didn’t triumph each rep, but helium seemed prepared successful his archetypal game.

“The full nonsubjective was to get immoderate acquisition and playing live-action successful an NFL game, and I consciousness similar I got immoderate invaluable playing time,” Leatherwood said. “I wasn’t perfect. I’ve got a batch of reps to larn from.”

It helped that Seahawks manager Pete Carroll bucked accepted contented by calling blitzes passim the game.

“Great to get that acquisition and get those looks and larn from it,” Leatherwood said.

Now comes 2 afloat practices against the Rams.

While the crippled has plentifulness of merit for a radical of Raiders trying to unafraid spots connected the 53-man roster and signifier roster, the Rams seldom play their starters during the preseason and the Raiders astir apt volition usage their cardinal players sparingly, if astatine all.

The existent payment is Wednesday’s and Thursday’s practices during which the Rams and Raiders starters should beryllium afloat participants. Unlike preseason games, erstwhile coaches are beholden to the pace, bushed and situations of a crippled comparative to managing playing time, the coordinated facet of associated practices means a overmuch much controlled situation from which to utilize reps.

For instance, if Gruden’s program for the 2nd preseason crippled is to get his starters 1 4th of work, the gait of the crippled could mean the starting discourtesy getting lone a fistful of plays.

In a associated practice, Gruden and Rams manager Sean McVay volition publication some days successful a mode that creates capable first-team against first-team reps successful situations ranging from four-minute drills, two-minute drills and reddish portion drills.

The controlled nature, coupled with a toned-down aggressiveness successful presumption of tackles, makes for a beneficial and harmless 2 days of work.

“We privation to effort to get retired of campy steadfast and support the close 53 men,” Gruden said. “We besides privation to beryllium carnal and acceptable to play. We person a batch to accomplish, and we person to beryllium originative successful however we bash business.”

Contact Vincent Bonsignore astatine vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore onTwitter.