out there and thats deserved because we havent been winning. W

NAPA, Calif. -- While many people around the league have questioned whether DeAndre Washington has the size to stick in the NFL, Raiders rookie running back sees his stature as a benefit instead of a hindrance.It certainly hasnt taken the 5-foot-8-inch, 205-pound Washington long to make an impact in training camp.On the second day of practice, the 5-foot-8, 205-pound running back took a handoff from quarterback Matt McGloin and cut around the left corner then broke into the open field for a long gain.Two days later, Washington bounced back after getting bowled over by linebacker Cory James during a blitz pick-up drill and left James grasping at air with a nifty move during a team scrimmage.Its that type of potential that convinced the Raiders to draft the Texas Tech standout and is why Washington is brimming with confidence in spite of what critics might be saying.Being a smaller guy works in my favor, Washington said during a break in practice. Being behind those big guys, epecially when you put those paads on, makes it kind of hard to see me. Its definitely a good feeling when I can hide and do my thing behind those guys.Washington could wind up playing a pivotal role on a running game that was up and down most of last season.Latavius Murray was second in the AFC and sixth overall with 1,066 yards but the Raiders finished 28th overall in rushing.Part of the issue stemmed from a lack of committment to the running game and also from the inability of the backups to keep the ground game going when Murray came out to rest.Thats one of the primary reasons that general manager Reggie McKenzie and coach Jack Del Rio wanted to add depth to the backfield. They experimented with Trent Richardson in training camp a year ago then went with the tandem of Taiwan Jones and Roy Helu Jr. during the regular season.Jones and Washington have been splitting reps behind Murray in practice. Helu was placed on injured reserve before camp began after having surgery on both hips.Much of the focus, though, is on Washington, a fifth-round draft pick who rushed for 1,492 yards and 14 touchdowns during his senior season in college.With the case of DeAndre and Jalen (Richard), some of the younger guys, were really learning about our younger guys, Del Rio said Monday. Were learning about these guys that are new to us. We want to make sure that were really thorough with them, that we give them an opportunity to express who they are, let them compete, and then learn. Were taking notes and were sharing the information. As a football team, we want to make sure we take advantage of the individual talents that we have.Murray looked strong in offseason workouts and made one long run up the middle during a scrimmage portion of practice on Saturday.Washington countered that with a few big runs of his own and believes he can be a nice complement to Murray in the Raiders backfield.We both bring different skill sets to the table, so I think it makes it a little bit harder to game plan for opposing teams, Washington said. Im looking forward to working with him and making plays with him.Murray welcomed Washingtons arrival in the offseason and is confident the two can help improve Oaklands ground game.We know the expectations we hold for ourselves and the talk thats been going around, but we know that right now its just talk, Murray said. The only thing that we can go out there and do is get better, come together as a team and put it all together so we can play and win on Sundays. Right now, its just on paper and heres the time where we put it together and live up to the hype.Game notes Fourth-round pick Connor Cook returned after attending a funeral on Sunday. ... Left guard Kelechi Osemele also came back to practice after sitting out one day for undisclosed reasons. Steph Curry Shoes From China . Jon Montgomerys gold medal in skeleton at the Whistler Sliding Centre and his subsequent auctioning off of a pitcher of beer in the village square elevated him to folk-hero status. Steph Curry Shoes Outlet . -- James Young couldnt wait to apply those tweaks to his jump shot, and the first one he made against UT Arlington told him it could be a good night. https://www.stephencurryshoescheap.com/ . It was the kind of score that might make everyone else wonder which course he was playing. Except that Graeme McDowell saw the whole thing. Crouched behind the 10th green at Sheshan International, McDowell looked over at the powerful American and said, "Ive probably seen 18 of the best drives Ive seen all year in the last two days. Steph Curry Shoes For Sale . Giroud, who wasnt in the starting lineup for two matches after allegations about his private life and a decline in form, scored twice in the first half. Tomas Rosickys chip made it 3-0 before half time at Emirates Stadium, while defender Laurent Koscielny scored an unmarked header in the second half. Clearance Steph Curry Shoes . Halifax beat the Saint John Sea Dogs 7-5 on the strength of two goals apiece from Nikolaj Ehlers, Matt Murphy and Brent Andrews. Jonathan Drouin also scored and had three assists while Zachary Fucale made 17 saves for the Mooseheads (16-8-0), who led 6-1 after two periods. Australias coach Darren Lehmann has guaranteed the places of just four members of the Hobart Test XI.On a day South Africa completed a dominant series victory, the Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland and high performance chief Pat Howard joined former players for introspective talks on the state of the team in the Bellerive Oval dressing room.Lehmann, who has been told to reinvent himself by Howard, stated that only the captain Steven Smith, his deputy David Warner and the pacemen Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are safe from the axe ahead of next weeks day-night Test in Adelaide. All members of the team apart from Starc, Hazlewood and the seamer Joe Mennie are to play in the Sheffield Shield round starting on Thursday, in a departure from previous plans.Weve got to stop the rot, weve got to work out what the best XI is, Lehmann said. Guys playing this Test match, some were disappointed in their performances and they get the chance to play the Shield game to put their hand up. I thought Hazlewood was great, Starcs getting back to his best and then youve got Smith and Warner.Outside of that everyones got to make some runs and take some wickets. Its a really important four days of Shield cricket. The lads are really keen to get out of here and get ready to play that game and prepare the best they can. Spots, performances are going to count, but youve got to have an eye to the future as well, its that juggling act.These words mean that numerous medium-term members of the team are under enormous pressure to keep their places, including the spin bowler Nathan Lyon, the most experienced player in the side and the custodian of the team victory song - not sung since February in New Zealand. Adam Voges, who is averaging less than 15 over his past 10 Test innings, and wicketkeeper Peter Nevill also seem to be in the firing line.Like everyone else, down, Lehmann said when asked about Voges mood. Adams been a very good player for us foor 20-odd Test matches, end of the day hes got to go back and make runs like everyone else.dddddddddddd. Wed love someone to stand up and bat big, I think weve had two hundreds in the last five Test matches and they were both in one innings. So we havent had big runs from anyone.Sutherland and Howard flew into Hobart on Tuesday in time to address the team after their innings defeat, the first at home since the summer of 2010-11. Former players Mark Taylor, Ian Healy, Shane Warne, Michael Slater and Tom Moody also spent time with the team. Weve had James and Pat talk to us, and thats about going forward and sticking together, Lehmann said. I know theres a lot of criticism out there and thats deserved because we havent been winning. We have to cop that and live with that. For us its about stopping that, turning it around. Theyre all great kids, great staff members, they work hard. We just havent had results go our way.Young batsmen expected to be considered for selection include the elegant NSW left-hander Kurtis Patterson, the South Australia captain Travis Head, and another Redback in Jake Lehmann - the coachs son. Darren Lehmann indicated he would sit out of any selection discussion involving Jake Lehmann.I dont sit in on anything when they [the selectors] talk about Jake, and I dont know what theyre saying about Jake, Lehmann said. Not involved, and Id be that nervous anyway I probably wouldnt be coach. Id probably just go to the bar.The Test squad will be named on Sunday after the Shield round is complete, meaning the team will assemble in Adelaide on Monday, a day later than previously scheduled.Possible Test squad for Adelaide: Steven Smith (capt), David Warner, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Kurtis Patterson, Callum Ferguson, Matthew Wade, Steve OKeefe, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird, Chadd Sayers ' ' '