NAPA, Calif. — Oakland Raiders coach Tom Cable met a sea of skepticism when he first broached the idea of using what he calls a “learning-intensive” approach to the first four days of training camp.

And that was just from his coaching staff.
“They sat there and looked at me at first, and then it was like, ’OK,”’ Cable said Sunday.
The idea was for the players to do a sort of dress rehearsal of what the real practices are going to be like beginning Monday, Cable said.
To that end, the players ran the start of plays but stopped within 2 or 3 seconds after the ball was snapped. Quarterbacks dropped back, going through their reads, then handing the ball back to the center.
“At first, when you’re trying to learn the plays, it’s good to take it slow,” Raiders linebacker Isaiah Ekejiuba said. “Now that we know what we’re doing, let’s get going. A lot of people thought it was a good process to get the mistakes out of the way. Now let’s play.”
Cable said he first used the unconventional approach during his tenure as the head coach at the University of Idaho. Now his assistants are on board.
“You look at it, the majority of these guys have been in the NFL for quite some time, and it’s different,” Cable said, “But now that we’re into it, and now that they’ve talked it through, and now that they’ve done it, they’re like, hopefully we’ll never do this any different.”
The Raiders hit the field today in full pads for their first practice at full-speed, with meaningful contact and plays that aren’t aborted before they unfold.
Garcia shuts it down
Backup quarterback Jeff Garcia dressed for practice but did not participate in any of the drills. Cable said there isn’t anything wrong with Garcia and that the day off is part of the plan for the 39-year-old backup.
“I’m kind of saving things for (today) to get out there and be fresh,” Garcia said.
BARNES FINDING NICHE
Offseason acquisition Khalif Barnes still is waiting for an opportunity to show the Raiders what he can do at left offensive tackle three months after signing a one-year, $1 million contract.
For now, Mario Henderson is running with the first-team offense, just as he did the final three games of last season. Barnes is biding his time while he learns the playbook and acclimates himself to the zone-blocking scheme.
Cable said it’s possible that Barnes will challenge right offensive tackle Cornell Green if Henderson holds off Barnes on the left side. However, Barnes said he isn’t real comfortable on the right side just yet.
WALKER SPARKLES
Injured wide receiver Javon Walker worked out away from his teammates and put on an impressive show. Walker jumped, cut, sprinted and did everything else asked of him without any obvious sign of discomfort or hesitation. He is awaiting clearance from team doctors before he returns to the field for the first time since offseason surgery on his right knee in April.
EXTRA POINTS
The Raider Nation Celebration is scheduled for Saturday at the Oakland Coliseum. That marks the first time that fans get to see the 2009 Raiders in a formal setting. The event is free and runs from 1 p.m.-5. The day is highlighted by a Raiders practice. ... Holdout defensive end Derrick Burgess missed his fifth straight day. Greg Ellis has replaced Burgess on the left side. A Raiders official said the Raiders are approaching the matter as if they won’t have Burgess for this season.