Oakland Raiders

Some quick hits from Saturday’s second practice:

– Got a good look at an extended passing session for the first time and was mostly impressed.

Other than one sequence near midfield where a few balls hit the ground, throws from JaMarcus Russell, Bruce Gradkowski and Charlie Frye were sharper than anything I saw during the mandatory minicamp and OTA practices which were open to the media.

Not against live defenses yet, but progress.

– Chaz Schilens made a leaping catch along the left sideline on a pass from Frye that drew hoots and hollars from his teammates. Darrius Heyward-Bay ran a post-corner route to a cone placed 25 yards downfield on the sideline, caught the ball over his shoulder and tapped both feet inbounds.

Heyward-Bey was spent some time on his own with a member of the support staff, who was throwing him passes from behind with Heyward-Bey on his knees, looking forward, then looking back at the last instant attempting to make the catch.

– Jeff Garcia did no throwing that I saw in the second session and had only a handful of snaps in team sessions where throwing was not required.

– Two more “learning intensive” dress rehearsal practices today and a very brief walkthrough (not in uniform) Monday morning before the first padded practice at 3:30 p.m.

It appears full-contact pracitces will be held at 3:30 p.m. with morning walkthroughs. I’ll post the week’s schedule when I receive it.

– Two fans who live in a complex over an end zone fence watched practice, alternately sipping beers and using their cell phones to snap photos. In the past, fans have been asked to leave areas in the second story of the Marriott with a view so they don’t get a look.

– Tom Cable continues to warn not to read too much into first- and second teams, but it’s worth noting Jay Richardson has been a spectator much of the time. Ryan Boschetti, signed as a defensive tackle, was getting more work at end.

– Stanford Routt and Michael Huff got a lot of first-team work at the expense of Chris Johnson and Hiram Eugene.

– Oren O’Neal was wearing a baseball hat through much of Saturday’s sessions, making it questionable whether he’ll be part of the full-contact practice Monday.

– Little chance for injury in these workouts, but there was one brief scare when Gerard Warren went down for a for a few moments, only to rise and never miss a snap.