One of Raiders' Primary Focuses Heading Into Training Camp
One of Raiders' Primary Focuses Heading Into Training Camp
The Las Vegas Raiders look to put the pieces together when training camp rolls around later this summer.Ezekiel Trezevant|
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Las Vegas RaidersUp until this point, the Las Vegas Raiders have had an eventful offseason. Las Vegas has made good use of its time off by adding talent at every turn. The Raiders needed a big offseason, and they have had one. Still, it will take more than impressive offseason signings to turn things around.
The Raiders have taken the beginning steps of their rebuild, revamping their front office last season. Then, Las Vegas nearly completely replaced its coaching staff and got to work fixing its roster. The Raiders have been productive at every point of this offseason.
Still, even with the big swings the Raiders have taken this offseason, they have been careful to take things one step at a time. Las Vegas made it through their rookie minicamp, the Organized Team Activities, and, most recently, mandatory minicamp. The hard part comes next.
The Raiders Are Ready
The Raiders are in the middle of their last few weeks of downtown before a long and busy 17-game season. The dog days of summer are here, but for most teams around the league, the next few weeks are essentially the calm before the storm. Las Vegas, though, is ready for the rubber to meet the road.
After hiring Klint Kubiak as their head coach, it seems as if the moves the Raiders made this offseason came quickly and in a hurry. Training camp is approaching just as quickly, marking another critical part of Las Vegas' offseason.
Las Vegas' coaching issues over the past few seasons mean that arguably the most significant step the Raiders took this season was adding Kubiak. They are relying on him, his coaching staff, and the many roster additions made to make tangible progress this season.
Las Vegas' Next Step
Their long-term plans will take more time, but the Raiders have done all they can in one offseason to make the progress they are hoping for in the near future. Las Vegas has made it through the first half of the offseason, with training camp just around the corner.
However, before they can get to training camp, they will take time away before returning in late June. Kubiak recently explained what he is looking forward to over the next few weeks, as he approaches his first training camp and regular season as a head coach in the National Football League.
"I'm just looking forward to going home, being a dad, and being around my kids, my wife, and my family, and rejuvenating that way. It's really important for myself, for our whole staff, for our players to go recharge,” Kubiak said following mandatory minicamp.
“I don't want our guys to get burnt out. I want our guys to be excited to come to work when training camp starts. So, I'm not going to talk to a lot of them for a month, but as coaches, we've got to focus up on some things, get them detailed for camp, but it's really important for the mental health of the whole team that we get away and go be with our families.”
The Raiders had a solid set of offseason workouts through this point. It is clear that Las Vegas has improved. However, football is played in football pads, and the Raiders have not put those on yet.
As productive as they have been this offseason and as improved as they appear to be, Kubiak has stressed to the players that an unproductive few weeks away can undo the progress they have made thus far.
“You can ruin an offseason with 40 days away. You put all that work in this time of year, if you go post up on the couch, all that work is for naught. So, 40 days away, you got to be really self-motivated, and we're not going to be with them every day, but we'll be in contact with them,” Kubiak said.
“Then that's where, to me, that Mr. [John] Spytek, his job comes into play, because he brought in a lot of quality individuals that are self-motivated. If you don't have self-motivated guys, you have no idea what's coming once they come into training camp. So, I feel really confident that we have a self-motivated group."
Las Vegas' front office has done its best to put the coaching staff and the players in a position to succeed. The Raiders' new-look coaching staff has spent the past few weeks putting in the work on the field to build a more competitive team. Still, the next few weeks are vital.
As with every other step the Raiders have taken this offseason, Las Vegas' front office and coaching staff have a plan in place. Las Vegas' plans have been detailed thus far and appear to be moving forward. The Raiders have not only a plan for training camp, but for their time away.
“I think it's our job as coaches to set expectations and to give a detailed plan and to see the players execute it and not walking past a mistake. If it's not done right, do it again until you get it right," Kubiak said.
"On Sunday, everybody's jobs are on the line, and we're counting on everybody, coaches and players. So, it's just important that we're all held accountable. We know what the standard is, and we go execute the plan.”
Training camp is fast approaching for a Raiders team eager to move on from a challenging past couple of seasons. Las Vegas has not had many things go its way recently, but it has finally begun to make the types of moves that should help change that going forward.
As the Raiders prepare to take another step in the early stages of Kubiak's tenure, they must continue to stick to the plan they have been following this offseason. Although the details of that plan remain largely a mystery to those outside of the organization, it appears, so far, to be a good one.
Published Jun 22, 2026
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EZEKIEL TREZEVANTEzekiel is a former Sports Editor from the Western Herald and former Atlanta Falcons beat writer.
Follow ztrezevantBadenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
