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Raiders first choice Damon Arnette didn’t have the kind of rookie season he or the team were looking for in 2020.
Arnette had two concussions, a thumb injury, and a stay on the reserve / COVID-19 list during the season. He missed a total of seven games and played a total of 10 snaps in two other games, which didn’t leave him a great chance of playing.
When he did, the performance wasn’t great, and general manager Mike Mayock told Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the lack of an offseason program was a problem for all of the team’s young players. It remains to be seen what this off-season will bring, and Mayock identified other things Arnette should focus on to kick off his second season.
“I think it is a great off-season for Damon, ”Mayock said. “What he needs is diet consistency, a weight room, and an exercise program. And he has to behave religiously. We have no problems with its speed, its coverage capacity and its innate competitiveness. It’s the other things. Because when it’s easy for you, you don’t always work on other things. And now Damon really needs to focus on the weight room, diet, and daily regimen to prepare for camp. “
Mayock said he felt the Raiders could have been a playoff team in 2020 if they had a top 10 offensive and in the middle of street defense. They ended up in the top 10 in points and yards but, as Mayock admitted, “they weren’t playing in the middle of the street defense”.
Getting Arnette on a better track would be one way to improve her chances of reaching that point next time.
