NAPA – The Raiders seemed to enter 2016 a bit thin at interior linebacker. Ben Heeney and Malcolm Smith were scheduled starters, though there seemed to be little depth behind them.
A few weeks and a preseason game into this training camp, the Raiders are looking a bit more flush. That’s because Cory James and Korey Toomer have blossomed in those spots thus far, which requires an ability to cover well in space.
Toomer had seven tackles and James had five, including one for a loss, in Friday’s exhibition win at Arizona.
James saw some time with first unit in Monday’s practice, after Heeney got tangled up with Mychal Rivera and left practice early.