HENDERSON, Nev. -- Sometime near the middle of training camp is when Nate Hobbs planted his flag.
Sure, Hobbs had a sensational rookie season as the Las Vegas Raiders' slot cornerback, but he wasn't about to rest on any laurels -- real or imagined -- in the desert sun.
So when he looked across the line of scrimmage during one-on-one drills and saw no one really champing at the bit to cover Davante Adams, the best receiver in the game, Hobbs jumped. Figurative flag in hand.
"Nate's like, 'I want the rep,'" recalled Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.