Napa, Calif. — For Tahir Whitehead, Tuesday’s joint practice with the Detroit Lions felt, and sounded, all too familiar.
The former Lions linebacker spent six years with the franchise, practicing daily against the team’s offense and trying to stop running backs Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick from breaking big runs or catching passes against him. And when Whitehead failed in his assignment, he was sure those backs would let him know.
So as the first of the two joint practices between the teams wrapped up, there the three stood, playfully jawing with each other after the officials had ruled Lions rookie running back Kerryon Johnson had snuck into the end zone and prevented the Raiders' defense from going a perfect 4-0 in a physical, goal line segment.