Raheem Mostert on the culture shift in Vegas and the moment he knew Ashton Jeanty was special
Yahoo Sports’ Jason Fitz and Caroline Fenton are joined by Las Vegas Raiders running back Raheem Mostert to discuss the culture shift in Las Vegas under head coach Pete Carroll. Raheem also recalls the first time he realized fellow running back Ashton Jeanty was a true talent.
Video Transcript
Was there a moment in camp where you saw something from him and you were like, yeah, this guy's got something special.
Yeah, it was a, um, it was an inside zone run out of the shotgun, and, um, he, I think it was like the third day we had passed, and, um, he hit this hole in the way he utilizes center gravity, right?
He maneuvered in a way that, you know, I haven't really seen, you know, from how can you say, like, from behind the offense, um, you know, he found a hole.
You know, and it was just so impressive.
I was like, wow, this guy does have it.
You know, he could, he could definitely, he has a knack for finding the right, the right running lane and understanding the assignment.
He works his tail off.
He does everything that he needs to do in the, locker room, in the meeting rooms.
Um, and, you know, I'm, I've been there and just wanting to be a guidance for him, wanting to be, you know, there's, I told him early on, you know, during training camp, I said, hey, look, man, there's going to be a lot of pressure on you just because you're a sixth overall.
You know, that's, that's a lot of praise for, especially at our position, at the running back position.
So, um, let's not take that, um, you know, too too lightly, but at the same time, that's not the, that's not the objective.
The objective here is to be the best version that you possibly can be, and I'm going to help you get it, get in.
That position, um, I'm going to do everything that I possibly can to help you.
And I think the word culture sometimes gets overused by people that do what we do, but there is an important element of locker room culture, of camaraderie, that I think is essential for winning at the highest level in the NFL.
What has Pete Carroll done for the culture in Vegas?
Yeah, um, one of the things that he, I mean, the very first meeting we ever had as a team, um, going into OTAs and, off-season, uh, workouts, you know, he, uh, he wanted to make sure that it was known that we're just going to compete.
That was the central theme of everything that we do is competing, um, and, and putting in, you know, putting everybody in position in order to do what they have to do and to be successful, you know, that was his main thing.
It's like, you're gonna come in here, you're gonna have your shot, you're gonna get an opportunity, and we don't wanna hold that against you.
We want you to be who you are as a player.
don't step out of your comfort zone, don't step out of your character and, try to do something or make something up.
We want you to be you and we want you to compete.
And that was the first message that he presented to all of us.
And, you know, that, like I said, it just, it goes to a credit to a guy like him, you know, who's been doing it for so many years and, and has won Super Bowls and national championships in college, right?
Um, it's just a testament to his true ability as a head coach.
you know, actually, I had a conversation with a couple of teammates, um, you know, this past training camp, and we sat at, you know, breaking bread, sitting at the round table right for breakfast, um, and I just flat out told these guys, hey, look, you know, I think this is the best assembled team from a, a chemistry standpoint, um, that you could ever have, you know.
I've been around the league for some time.
Um, you know, I've been on several different teams and, and organizations, being a part of organizations that have had, you know, that, that, that shift, that change.
and when you have a head coach, um, GM John Spytek, um, you have Tom Brady implementing his, his strategies into the whole organization, um, and then, obviously, Mark Davis, you know, being a, a standout guy, um, you know, that just uh, radiates within the locker room and it just shows you that, you know, they're not just trying to build to just build, they're trying to build and win at the same time.
And that was a conversation I had with Spytek too, you know, early on, I told him, hey, look, you know, me coming into this tenfold is, is very attracting, um, but at the same time, I wanna be, I wanna come in and I wanna help win.
I wanna help, You know, put some knowledge behind the running back position in general, but, you know, offense and, in my experience, and that was something that he, you know, was sitting there and he was astonished by the fact that I wanted to come in, you know, especially at the juncture of my career, right?
Um, going into year 11, but at the same time, you know, just being able to be a tool for these guys and, an asset for the team is very viable for me and that's something I always want to do.
But going back to your point, you know, when you're trying to rebuild and rebuild and rebuild, sometimes it gets overplayed.
But when you have a, a philosophy like what they have is, hey, look, we're going to go in here, we're going to, you know, rebuild but also win at the same time, you know, I've never really dealt with that before.
I've never dealt with, hey, look, let's rebuild and let's win at the same time, you know, that's a new technique and I'm embracing it and, you could see it too, and you could feel it in the building, you know, the 90 guys that we had on the roster during training camp, that was probably the most comprehensive, most um cohesiveness that I've witnessed in my 11 years in the NFL.
Steelers Place QB, LB on Injured Reserve
The Pittsburgh Steelers have placed a pair of players on the reserve/injured list as they head into their Week 2 home opener against the Seattle Seahawks at Acrisure Stadium.
The organization announced that quarterback Skylar Thompson (hamstring) and linebacker Malik Harrison (knee) will now miss at least the next four games while residing on IR with their respective ailments.
Pittsburgh officially signed safety Jabrill Peppers and cornerback James Pierre to its 53-man roster as the corresponding moves while also adding quarterback Logan Woodside to its practice squad.
Thompson popped up on the Steelers' final injury report ahead of their Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets and was ruled questionable. He later found himself among the team's inactives, which was expected, and served as their emergency No. 3 signal caller behind Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph.
Woodside, who spent time in Pittsburgh in the preseason and also previously played under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith with both the Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons, will now assume those duties for the time being.
Thompson signed a reserve/futures contract with the Steelers in January. He was the team's No. 4 QB for most of the offseason after the team signed Rodgers and Rudolph while also drafting his former Kansas State teammate in Will Howard, but a hand injury to the latter that landed him on IR opened the door for Thompson to lock down a 53-man roster spot.
During the preseason, he threw for 498 yards, four touchdowns and an interception to go alongside a 73.2 percent completion rate in three games.
Harrison, on the other hand, went down with his injury during the fourth quarter vs. New York and did not return after eventually being ruled out.
The 27-year-old logged a tackle over four defensive snaps and 16 on special teams in his regular season debut for Pittsburgh after signing a two-year, $10 million contract with the team as a free agent in March.
An Ohio State product who played in 52 games for the program from 2016 to 2019, Harrison was picked by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
He remained with the franchise for five years, appearing in 76 games and making 34 starts. During that span, Harrison racked up 174 tackles and two sacks in the regular season while posting 23 tackles over seven postseason contests.
