More than three months after the NFL draft
Nickell Robey-Coleman Jersey , Oakland Raiders defensive tackle Maurice Hurst is still a little bitter about how things played out.
Projected to be a sure first-rounder after his final season at Michigan, Hurst wasn’t selected until the fifth round amid questions about his health
stemming from a heart condition that also got him sent home from the scouting
combine.
Although Hurst said he first learned of the issue during his freshman year in college, he was stunned not hearing his name called until the third day of the
draft.
He’s still not fully over it.
”I don’t know if it ever goes away,” Hurst said Friday. ”It’s just something that’s always on your shoulder and something that you always have to carry with
you. Just keep it there to push you harder.”
The Raiders are counting on Hurst and second-round pick P.J. Hall to improve an interior pass rush that was almost non-existent last season. Both rookies
have gotten work in with the starting defense during practices and will get an
extensive look when preseason games begin next week.
”They don’t want us to be rookies,” Hurst said. ”They want us to come out and play right away and play effectively, and come out and just dominate and do what
they expected us to do. Just be a vital part of this defense.”
Hurst had 12 sacks in college, five coming as a senior when he was an All-American.
With the Raiders
Eddie Yarbrough Jersey , he’ll be part of a rotation up front that includes Hall and veterans Justin Ellis and Mario Edwards. Eddie Vanderdoes, a
second-round pick in 2017 who started 13 games as a rookie, is recovering from
ACL surgery.
To help accelerate his growth, the Raiders have had Hurst play against starting center Rodney Hudson and guards Kelechi Osemele and Gabe Jackson.
Hudson and Osemele were Pro Bowl picks last season while Jackson was an
alternate in 2016.
”They throw a few crumbs every now and then,” Hurst said. ”They don’t want you to beat them every time. But they’ve been extremely helpful. Every day I get
to go to work I get to play the best guys in the country. That’s only going to
make you better every day.”
Hudson said Hurst’s natural instincts have made for a smooth transition.
”He’s got a lot of ability,” Hudson said. ”Smart rusher. He’s always attentive and asks questions. He’s got a lot of God-given ability. He’s quick
and he uses his hands well to be so young.”
Hurst showed all of that during a pass-rush drill Friday. Paired against two offensive linemen, Hurst burst through the middle of the double-team effort and
used his right hand to knock away one defender’s block attempt.
If only finding a place to live was that easy for the Raiders rookie.
Hurst admitted getting sticker shock while checking out the housing market in Northern California and joked that he might have to go back to driving for
Uber
Menelik Watson Jersey , something he did in college to earn extra money.
”It’s ridiculous,” Hurst said. ”Look here, look home, look Michigan. I’m like, `I can get a nice place over there.’ But over here you get a little box.
There was one on Craigslist I saw that someone was renting out a closet for
$400.”
Notes: Jackson was held out of practice for unknown reasons, one day after leaving the workout early. . Left tackle Donald Penn, who has not practiced in
camp yet after having offseason foot surgery
Dion Dawkins Jersey , appears close to returning. Penn has been working out with a team trainer and got work in on a blocking sled.
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??Former Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Jonathan Martin, who has struggled with mental health issues after a 2013 bullying scandal that shook the NFL, was
taken into Los Angeles police custody Friday after a threatening Instagram post
on his account mentioned two former teammates who had harassed him.Martin was
being questioned by investigators after the post showed a shotgun and referred
by name to the private Harvard-Westlake prep school in Los Angeles that he once
attended, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The official was
not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of
anonymity.The post also included mentions of the Instagram usernames of former
Miami Dolphins players Richie Incognito and Mike Pouncey and said suicide and
revenge were the only options for a victim of bullying, the official said.The
Harvard-Westlake prep school was evacuated earlier Friday after officials were
made aware of the post. It was not immediately clear whether Martin posted the
photo himself and he was not under arrest Friday afternoon.Martin left the Miami
Dolphins midseason in 2013 after accusing teammates of bullying. An NFL
investigation found that Incognito, Pouncey and teammate John Jerry engaged in
persistent harassment directed at Martin.Incognito was suspended for the final
eight games and sat out the 2014 season before joining the Buffalo Bills.The
NFL’s investigation also found that teammates threatened to rape Martin’s
sister, called him a long list of slurs and bullied him for not being “black
enough.” Martin is black and Incognito is white.Martin
DJ Chark Jersey , who underwent counseling for emotional issues after the bullying scandal, posted on Facebook in 2015 that difficulties in football led
him to attempt suicide multiple times.Martin, the son of two Harvard graduates,
attended Stanford University. After he left the Dolphins, Martin played for the
San Francisco 49ers and Carolina Panthers. He left the NFL in
2015.Representatives for the Miami Dolphins and the NFL declined to comment and
referred questions to Los Angeles police..
