The Oakland Raiders aren’t giving up on Martavis Bryant, but their new acquisition is firmly in Jon Gruden’s doghouse.
According to Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area, Bryant has largely been relegated to practicing with the second string during training camp. Gruden wants his wide receivers to be versatile and skilled at running any route asked of them, and Bryant has lagged behind in that department.
There’s evidence that the demotion is stoking a sense of urgency in Bryant, as he caught two long touchdowns in Wednesday’s practice, and Gruden gave him a vote of confidence.
“Martavis is not a good talent, he’s a great talent, and we’re going to continue to work him into our offense,” Gruden said. “Today showed I think what he’s capable of doing. We have big plans for him.”
Bryant has reportedly struggled to grasp the Oakland playbook and has clearly seen his status suffer in camp. It’ll be interesting to see what the team does with him in their preseason opener.
