Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, NFL teams have been forced to conduct all of their business virtually this offseason.
That can be especially difficult for an organization like the Las Vegas Raiders, who brought in a ton of new players this offseason through the draft and free agency. Without the luxury of in-person meetings and workouts, it can be tough for players to get familiar with the scheme the Raiders want to run.
Luckily, as the pandemic has begun to get under control in the country, the NFL has begun relaxing its restrictions for in-person meetings. The league decided to open up offices for coaches to return to on Friday, and players could be just behind them with minicamps expected to be allowed in the coming weeks.
Unfortunately for the Raiders though, they are still in the process of moving from Oakland to Las Vegas, so there currently aren’t any offices for Jon Gruden and his staff to go to. According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, they will be returning when the Raiders’ new practice facility in Henderson is complete in a few weeks:
Nothing changes for Gruden and his staff. Moving trucks already left Alameda facility, and new Henderson one isn't finished for a few weeks. #Raiders https://t.co/S97K00Qgat
— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) June 4, 2020
The Raiders originally were not expected to move to Las Vegas until the end of the offseason with training camp planned to take place in Napa once again. The league recently announced that they are requiring all teams to have training camps at their practice facilities though, speeding up the process of the Raiders’ move to the desert.
Even though Gruden is not yet returning to his office, there is no doubt that he and his staff are continuing to work as hard as possible in preparation for the 2020 season. With an influx of young talent in the organization, the Raiders should have a chance to make some noise and return to the postseason for the first time since 2016.
