OAKLAND, Calif. — Chaz Schilens entered his first NFL training camp a year ago as a little-known seventh-round draft pick from San Diego State just hoping to win a spot on the Oakland Raiders roster.

Schilens is emerging in his second year as a key component of Oakland’s passing game and one of JaMarcus Russell’s most-trusted receivers.
“With all the work I put in during the offseason I feel like I’m better prepared and obviously I know the offense a lot better because I studied it hard,” Schilens said. “It’s the second year. I feel more comfortable with a lot of things.”
That was clearly the case in Oakland’s 31-10 victory over Dallas in the exhibition opener on Thursday night. Russell, who focused heavily on tight end Zach Miller in his first full year as a starter, was often looking in Schilens’ direction first against the Cowboys.
The Raiders opened with a pass-happy attack, hoping to show improvement on the facet of the offense that has struggled most the past two seasons. Russell threw nine passes in his 13 plays, with two of the other plays ending with an 18-yard scramble and a sack.
Russell opened the game with an 11-yard pass to Schilens. He went to him again three plays later, drawing a 47-yard pass interference penalty and completed two more passes to Schilens to help set up a field goal on the opening drive.
Russell then hit Schilens again on a 16-yard pass to convert a third-and-8 on the second drive and Schilens caught another pass from Bruce Gradkowski to help set up a touchdown on Oakland’s third drive.
“I’m happy we gave him a lot of confidence, as far as giving him the ball early,” Russell said. “He’s a big guy, 6-3, almost 6-4. When you see a guy like that going up against some small corner, sometimes he battles little guys and really gets a chance to make a play.”
That didn’t happen often in Schilens’ rookie year even though he played in all 16 games. He finished 2008 with 15 catches for 226 yards and two touchdowns, but didn’t start making an impact until late in the season.
He had six catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns in wins the final two weeks against Houston and Tampa Bay.
“If you look back to the last three weeks of last season, Chaz Schilens really had come on then,” coach Tom Cable said. “I don’t know that he’s stepped up since last year. I think he’s just taken off from where he left off. We think he’s a good player and brings a lot to the table.”
Schilens was singled out in the offseason by owner Al Davis as an emerging talent after his late-season performance. He agrees with Cable that there has been a carry-over effect.
“To finish on a positive note like that and for the team to play so well really gave us confidence going into the offseason that we could get the thing back on track and be a winning football team,” Schilens said. “It really just set us up to have a good offseason and to work hard and to become a better team.”
While Cable was generally pleased with the passing game, there was plenty to be concerned about from the exhibition opener, including more lapses on run defense.
Stanford Routt, competing with Chris Johnson for the starting cornerback spot across from Nnamdi Asomugha, allowed three completions on Dallas’ touchdown drive.
Oakland also committed 14 penalties for 107 yards, including five by the offensive line.
“It’s just too many,” Cable said. “It’s something if we’re going to be the type of team we hope to be we’ve got to cut them down.”
As far as injuries, Asomugha (heel) and backup center John Wade (stinger) are day to day, while linebacker and special teams standout Isaiah Ekejiuba could miss a few days with a shoulder injury.