Las Vegas Raiders training camp preview: Key dates, notable additions, biggest storylines

With NFL training camps kicking off in July, it's time to get up to speed on all 32 NFL teams. Coral Smith has the lowdown on position battles, key players and notable subplots across the AFC West.

Catch up on the Las Vegas Raiders' offseason developments and 2024 outlook below.

Training Camp Dates/Information

• Players report: July 21 (rookies); July 23 (veterans)
• Location: Jack Hammett Sports Complex | Costa Mesa, California (fan information)

Notable Roster Changes

Preseason Schedule

• Week 1: at Minnesota Vikings | 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 10
• Week 2: vs. Dallas Cowboys | 10 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 17
• Week 3: vs. San Francisco 49ers | 10 p.m. ET on Friday, Aug. 23

2024 Schedule Notes

• Las Vegas is tied for the eighth-hardest strength of schedule in 2024 based on its opponents' 2023 win percentage (.512).
• The Raiders don't play a home game until their Week 3 contest vs. Carolina.
• The Silver and Black will finish the season with three of their last four games at home.

-- NFL Research

What You Need To Know

1) The Raiders were expected to be in the mix for drafting a quarterback, but after six were taken before they came on the clock, they decided to roll with the QBs they already have. Aidan O’Connell, who took over for Jimmy Garappolo midway through last season, went 5-5 record as rookie starter, experiencing ups and downs. Head coach Antonio Pierce indicated he had “earned the right” to compete for the top job with his strong play down the stretch, but journeyman QB Gardner Minshew, who earned a Pro Bowl nod with the Colts in 2023, will be trying to unseat him. Thus far, the two have shared first-team reps in workouts, but with Pierce indicating that the competition will heat up in camp, we’ll have to see how long that approach continues once the pads come on.

2) After five years of Josh Jacobs serving as their bell-cow back, the Raiders are entering 2024 with a new face leading the RB room. Zamir White showed in limited usage last season that he has the potential to thrive as an RB1, starting four games at the end of the year while Jacobs was injured and producing outputs of 69, 145, 71 and 112 yards. However, it’s unclear at this point how heavily the Raiders are anticipating using him. Jacobs never had fewer than 200 rushes in a single season, but Las Vegas could implement more of a platoon system, considering White’s lack of experience in carrying that kind of heavy workload, spelling him with players such as Alexander Mattison and Ameer Abdullah.

3) With their first pick of this year’s draft, the Raiders chose to go “best player available” instead of a position of need, selecting tight end Brock Bowers despite having drafted Michael Mayer in the second round one year prior. In order to fully utilize both young studs, it seems likely that new OC Luke Getsy is planning to send out 12 personnel (1 RB, 2 TE, 2 WR) more often in 2024, a formation trend which is picking up steam with multiple other teams, as well. Having Mayer and Bowers play alongside receivers Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers should create a strong pass-catching group to support whoever is under center in Week 1.

4) The 2023 season was defined by turmoil for the Raiders after the midseason firing of head coach Josh McDaniels. But under the tutelage of then-interim head coach Antonio Pierce, the team seemed to find new life. The defense, Pierce’s area of expertise, especially seemed to buckle down in the second half of the year, finishing No. 9 in the league in points allowed after ranking 26th in 2022. This run was highlighted by memorable performances such as a 30-6 win over the Giants in his HC debut and a victory over the Chiefs at Arrowhead while giving up just 14 points. Now, with Pierce being given the full-time gig despite his limited head-coaching experience, the pressure will be on to show that it wasn’t a fluke, and that this team -- and the defense, especially -- can sustain the improvement it showed down the stretch last season.

5) Maxx Crosby continues to be a quarterback-wrecking force, and the emergence of Malcolm Koonce last year (eight sacks) provided the Raiders with a solid 1-2 punch. The offseason addition of DT Christian Wilkins, who had a career year in 2023 with nine sacks and 62 QB pressures, per Next Gen Stats, makes this group even more lethal, and decreases the ability of offenses to double-team Crosby to negate the pass rush. And I haven't even mentioned Tyree Wilson. The Raiders hope the No. 7 overall pick from the 2023 draft can take the next step after a relatively quiet debut season (3.5 sacks, eight QB hits). This could be a defensive front that causes significant concern for opposing O-lines if everything comes together as planned.