Maybe Hugh Jackson was the (or more likely one of the) missing ingredients for the Raiders offense.

We’ve posted several updates in recent weeks regarding newly confident Raiders second-year WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, who has drawn all sorts of glowing reviews during offseason practices. We recognize the context of such offseason reports, so if you were a skeptic, you weren’t alone. NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora admitted Wednesday he also questioned the reports, but checked in with his insiders to get the scoop.

“[Sources] say that the big thing with him was confidence,” La Canfora told NFL Total Access. “Last year he started slowly and never really felt confident. Maybe questioned a little bit whether he truly belonged. But that’s gone. He’s playing with confidence now.”

La Canfora noted he’s hearing similar reports regarding RB Darren McFadden, who happened to be nominated by Steve Wyche as facing a make-or-break season. So the positivity surrounding the Raiders during June continues.

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