The seconday for the Raiders appeared like it could be in flux this offseason. With the drafting of four defensive backs and the trade acquistion of Taron Johnson, there was a chance things would look a lot different come the season.
The safety position doesn't seem to have changed. Returning starters Jeremy Chinn and Isaiah Pola-Mao seem to have those spots on lock. Rookies Treydan Stukes and Dalton Johnson have not made any real push there.
The cornerback position was another story.
Throughout much of camp, the competition going on at cornerback was fierce. The two rookies Jermod McCoy and Hezekiah Masses were seeing first team reps along with former starter Decamerion Richardson.
Come the game Thursday night, everyone seemed to have a rough outing, but McCoy and Masses had an especially rough go of it as the primary second team cornerbacks. Richardson was excused for the birth of his child.
As the Raiders returned to practice Saturday, things were a bit different. The rookies were no longer rotating in with the first team as they had before. In fact, McCoy -- who gave up a couple touchdown catches in the game -- was relegated to third team.
That had former starters Darien Porter and Eric Stokes were that first team outside cornerbacks and Taron Johnson was the first team slot corner. They gave way to Masses and Richardson with the second team. Richardson also worked in with the first team at times at right outside cornerback, though safe to say there's competition there with Stokes as the entrenched starter.
For McCoy, he has been brought along slow after having not played football for over a year. The talent is there, but the trust in his abilities is probably going to take some time.
As for how they performed in practice today, Porter had a pass breakup in one-on-ones, Richardson had Tre Tucker catch one on him on the right sideline and later stick with Tucker break up a pass on a go route to break it up.
Masses was victimized a couple times by the Fernando Mendoza to Malik Benson combo.
There were no interceptions in team sessions. The closest was Tommy Eichenberg stepping in from of a Mendoza pass over the middle only to have clank right off his hands.
Top plays
DE Malcolm Koonce got his hands up on the right edge to bat a pass down.
DT Jonah Laulu got past Spencer Burford for a sack.
QB Fernando Mendoza had consecutive nice passes, one on a cross to Jack Bech and the next, dropping it between layers of defenders to Malik Benson.
Benson also climbed the ladder to make a nice grab over the top of Masses from Mendoza.
LBs Nakobe Dean and Cody Lindenberg both had impressive run stuffs
CB Decamerion Richardson stuck in Tre Tucker's hip pocket all the way downfield on a deep ball, turning as the ball arrived to knock it down.
Absences
WR Dont'e Thornton -- Been dealing with an injury and they expect him back at some point this preseason.
TE Brock Bowers -- Personal reasons.
TE Carter Runyon -- Has been absent most of camp with injury.
DT Tonka Hemingway -- Rest day.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Raiders training camp Day 11 observations: Secondary taking shape