The Raiders have high hopes for second year cornerback Gareon Conley, but getting their 2017 first-round pick back to health is still first priority.
Conley announced that he had successful surgery (leg) on November 21 which means he is about five months into the recovery process.
NFL Network’s Steve Wyche gave an update on Conley’s status on Wednesday and it sounds like training camp is the goal to have Conley back at full strength.
“One player [the Raiders] are looking for a lot from next year is cornerback Gareon Conley – last year’s first-round draft pick. He is recovering from shin surgery. They said he has not been fully cleared for workouts so far. He is lifting, but they are going take their time with him to make sure he’s good to go once training camp starts.”
The latest from the Raiders on Mack and Conley. Hint on both: Patience is a virtue @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/rZvLyGUX4J
— Steve Wyche (@wyche89) April 11, 2018
Dr. David Chao, who is one of the NFL’s most respected medical commentators, wrote this about Conley in March:
“In what amounted to a redshirt rookie season, the Raiders’ first round pick finally had surgery for what we feared all along was a tibial stress fracture. The scenario is similar to that of the Bears’ 2015 first-round pick, Kevin White, in his rookie season. Conley’s tibia fracture will heal, but stress injuries heal slowly. He may not be there for OTAs, but the hope is he is ready for training camp and the Raiders can finally see what they have.”
Based on Chao’s assessment, Conley timeline seems to be consistent with what the team expected without any setbacks.
twitter: @raidersbeat
The smartest play on Conley was to pass on him and move on to the next guy on the draft list. McKenzie has such a penchant for reaching for players who “used to be” this and “should be” that that he will forgo a more sure thing, even in the 3 rounds, to do so. DJ Hayden, Jihad Ward, Calhoun, MEJ, Vanderdoes, Walford, Melifonwu, etc. McKenzie is the reason we have such poor talent on defense and we’re up against the salary cap. We should have at least 4-5 legit/solid starters from the 2015-2017 drafts on rookie contracts. Dude is out of control…… fire his ***
Totally agr
Couldn’t agree more. All valid examples. Reggie needs to do his fucking homework on guys
Awful quick to write off MEJ, Conley, Obi, Vanderdoes. Conley was not injured in college so this wasn’t something he could have predicted. Besides if he heals successfully he has demonstrated the ability that be a top quality corner. Obi is another. Let him heal and see what he does. MEJ did have an injury history but he is also loaded with talent which he showed in his rookie year. He could be be big for us this season. I thought Ward was an awful pick and I can’t see him making the team. Same with Caldoun who was consistently outplayed by Couser an UDFA. This season will tell us a lot about tge last two drafts but let’s at least let ir play out without jumping to early bust proclamations and wasted drafts. Hell you were probably on of the guys that’s was pissed we passed on Foster.
Conley was at least the second best corner in the draft, the only thing hanging over him was that rape bull crap. They knew he was innocent they couldn’t have for seen him getting hurt, he’d never been hurt. Don’t worry he will surprise you, just watch. Or would you have rather had Foster
All I can say is “thank the Lord you are not our GM”. It’s too easy to find the flaws. Let me ask you about his “hits” i.e… Mack, Carr, Cooper, Watson, ect. No one, not even the mighty Belecheck hits on ALL of thier seven rounds of every round of draft picks. Give Reggie a **** extension!!!!
We’ve done enough waiting get his @$$ on the field!
This isn’t good news to me. If I we’re the Raiders; I’d go about things in the draft as if Conley isn’t going to be available. As much as I hope to be wrong; something in my gut tells me that Conley will be injury prone and undependable. Best to be prepared.
Nothing in Conley’s college history shows that he is injury prone as he played 13 games in both 2015 and 2016 with 6 Ints and 9 Passes defended. So I think this shin injury was more a freakish incident than anything else. By the way I had a shin injury playing football and it sucked to me at the time!
MyRaiders fandom agrees with all of you in a way. 100 percent with poor choices in the early rounds states by jack del Rio hahaha . I like the handle. But as far as the kid goes, it is what it is, like darryl says, plan is to be prepared if he ain’t showing up. Let him earn our respect not the draft status. I think he will be a stud once hes healthy. Shut happens man, injuries happen. I don’t think he was an injury magnet in college. Let’s let him heal up like Kevin white. Feel bad for them. Not there fault they were drafted high as a top 5 projected player at their position and got hurt. Let’s not rush him and get him back full speed a few games into the season. When he played, he was better then the other 2 over paid starters we had our there. I hope they draft minkah fitz. He can be a moveable piece like Woodson. Match him up anywhere . Tight end, receiver outside or slot. Dude can play anywhere. That’s who we need.
Let’s just draft Denzel Ward and call it a day!
Trumaine Edwards, Minikah Fitz, Derwin James and move Joseph to Corner?