Die Saalfelds » Antonio Brown’s credentials were well established long

ALAMEDA Cullen Gillaspia Jersey , Calif. (AP) — before he arrived in Oakland as the Raiders new No. 1 receiver.Brown posted six straight 100-catch seasons for the Steelers with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and was the NFL’s most prolific receiver before he forced his way out of Pittsburgh to join the Raiders in March.Those impressive credentials mean little to coach Jon Gruden, who is pushing Brown as hard as any of his other receivers as Oakland begins preparations for the 2019 season. It’s a similar approach to the one Gruden took during his first stint in Oakland, when he inherited future Hall of Fame receiver Tim Brown and then added the game’s most productive receiver ever in Jerry Rice.“He challenged me from the meeting room to the field,” Brown said Tuesday of Gruden. “Lining me up at all kind of positions, hurrying up the offense’s tempo to see if I’m able to mentally pick up what I’m doing, where I’m lining up really fast. So, it’s never a dull day with coach. Always challenging, always high energy and always detailed and fundamental in regards to our assignment.”While Gruden is holding Brown to a high standard, Brown does the same to his fellow receivers on the roster. He has instituted a fine system for dropped passes in practice and wants to set an example with his strong work ethic for the rest of the players in the receivers’ room.Gruden had been enamored with Brown since his days as an announcer, calling him the hardest working player he had ever seen. Now the rest of the Raiders are seeing what Gruden meant.“He’s showed that when he’s been out here,” offensive coordinator Greg Olson said. “If you’re in that group, especially if you’re in that wide receiver group, you’re going to have to jump in and follow his lead. Again, he doesn’t ask them to do anything that he doesn’t do. That’s what’s real impressive about it. He hadn’t backed off a bit even though his experience in this league has been so long, he still practices at a very high level.”Brown has been one of the league’s most prolific players. He was an All-Pro four straight years from 2014-17 and is the first player with at least 100 catches and 1,200 yards receiving in six straight seasons. His 686 catches and 9 Tytus Howard Jersey ,145 yards since 2013 are the most for any player in a six-year span.But despite that production, he wore out his welcome in Pittsburgh and was acquired by Oakland in March for picks in the third and fifth round of the 2019 draft.Brown was benched by coach Mike Tomlin for the regular-season finale last year after the receiver went radio silent in the final 48 hours before the game. Brown arrived in a fur coat, hung out for a half and then disappeared from view until well after his teammates had cleaned out their lockers following a 9-6-1 finish that left Pittsburgh on the outside of the playoffs for the first time since 2013.He then publicly criticized Tomlin and Roethlisberger, eventually forcing his way out in the trade. He then got a new three-year contract worth $50.125 million from Oakland.“I’m extremely excited to be here,” Brown said. “Obviously, it was a challenge. I’m embracing the new. Excited about opportunities to put my condition on display, work on my mentality with learning the plays and take it all in.”Carr has worked hard to build a rapport with Brown and the rest of an almost entirely new receiving group. There are only three wide receivers on the roster who even got a single pass from Carr last season in Marcell Ateman, return specialist Dwayne Harris and Keon Hatcher. Those three combined for only 22 catches last season and don’t figure to have a major role on the offense this season.Instead, Carr’s main targets will likely be Brown, big-ticket free agent Tyrell Williams, Ryan Grant, J.J. Nelson and rookie Hunter Renfrow. Carr held many offseason throwing sessions in local parks with some of his new wideouts this offseason and tried to build a rapport off the field as well by hanging out in his free time. That was appreciated by Brown.“It’s tremendously important to have a relationship off the field because playing football you get mentally tired, you get frustrated,” he said. “You always want to have that respect for a guy, to know where he is coming from, know what he stands for and know what is important to him Rock Ya-Sin Jersey , so you guys can be on the same page and do what you desire to do. You desire to win.” COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP)If it was up to Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James, his training camp debut would have happened before Thursday.The Chargers decided to be cautious with their first-round draft pick as he recovered from a minor hamstring strain and delayed James’ first workout in pads.”I feel like I was ready Monday, but you know it’s an ongoing process.” James said. ”You never know with those soft tissue injuries, so I know they got my back. They only want what’s best.”James sustained the injury one week prior to the start of training camp while working out on his own, but there was no hint the former Florida State standout was limited in any way. During a position drill, James even joined his fellow defensive backs in an impromptu dance party.In the team period, James was smooth and explosive in limited repetitions to earn praise from head coach Anthony Lynn.”He looks good,” Lynn said. ”He looks good in his uniform. I mean, he’s a good-looking safety, but it’s just good to see him back out there because he had such a good offseason.”The decision to be cautious with James was understandable after cornerback Jason Verrett sustained a torn Achilles tendon during a conditioning test last week before the start of training camp. Trevor Williams, a possible replacement for Verrett, sustained an ankle injury on Tuesday, but Lynn said it was not a high-ankle sprain and that Williams could return in a week.James acknowledged some frustration at missing the start of his first training camp, but recognized why the Chargers would not want to risk having the injury linger into the regular season. Instead, he is focused on making the most of his time going forward.”They know what I can do http://www.coltsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-ben-banogu-jersey ,” James said. ”They drafted me in the first round for a reason. Just really come out here and become a master of my craft, learn my movements and be where I’m supposed to be on the field.”With James on the field, the Chargers can start to figure out their safety pairings in earnest. Tre Boston started 15 games last season, but was not re-signed in free agency. James was drafted No. 17 overall to fill that vacancy and play next to incumbent Jahleel Addae.James is learning how to play as both a free safety and a strong safety right now, but Addae said differentiating between the two positions can be overblown in coordinator Gus Bradley’s 4-3 defense.”Coach always says it best,” Addae said. ”We don’t have no strong safety, we don’t have no free safety. We just have safeties. All of us are interchangeable.”James credited Addae and the other Chargers defensive backs with helping him adjust quickly to the NFL.”I sit right behind him in the meeting room and I try to pick his brain, and he don’t mind helping me,” James said. ”He’s a great guy. Adrian Phillips, he helps me. Our whole DB room and our coaches that we have are great people to be around, and they only want what’s best.”Still, James compared the learning process to feeding a baby.”They give me a little spoonful, and then I got to wait a little bit, and they give me some more,” James said.NOTES: The Chargers signed receiver Marcus Peterson and cornerback Channing Stribling on Thursday after placing Verrett and tight end Austin Roberts (torn ACL) on injured reserve.—