Injured safety Nate Allen returns to Raiders’ practice

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Raiders defensive backs coach Marcus Robertson could play with a new old toy Wednesday, one he had enjoyed briefly before putting it on the shelf.

Safety Nate Allen returned to practice, six weeks after injuring his right knee in the season opener. He was placed on the temporary injured reserve list, and has started a 21-day practice window during which the Raiders must put him on the active 53-man roster or pull the plug on his season.

Allen expects to play Nov. 15 against the Vikings, the first game for which he is eligible.

“I’ll be ready to go,” Allen said. “I’m glad to be out there practicing. I’m feeling good. I just have to be patient.”

The Raiders moved TJ Carrie from cornerback to safety when Allen went down, and although Carrie has done a good job, Robertson is excited to have Allen coming back. The free-agent signee from the Eagles had two interceptions in a preseason game against the Cardinals.

“One of the reasons we brought Nate here was his ability to range out of the middle of the field,” Robertson said. “He has excellent ball skills. He’s a consummate professional, smart. … We just added another dimension to our secondary.”

Allen said he is proud of the job done by Carrie, who has been sitting next to Allen in the meeting room and has a couple of games left at his new position.

Oakland safety Nate Allen (20) acknowledged a teammate during the drills period. The Oakland Raiders held a mini-camp at their practice facility at Alameda, Calif. Tuesday April 21, 2015. Oakland safety Nate Allen (20) acknowledged a teammate during the drills period. The Oakland Raiders held a mini-camp at their practice facility at Alameda, Calif. Tuesday April 21, 2015. Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Injured safety Nate Allen returns to Raiders’ practice 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

“I’ve been giving him some tips for his eyes and how to interpret what he’s seeing,” Allen said. “He’s been doing well.”

Besides Allen, defensive tackles Denico Autry (concussion) and Justin Ellis (ankle) returned to practice.

Williams saw it coming: Rookie defensive end Leonard Williams of the Jets, Sunday’s opponent, grew up a Raiders fan and probably would have been Oakland’s pick at No. 4 in the draft if it hadn’t fallen in love with Amari Cooper. Instead, Williams fell to No. 6.

“I wasn’t too surprised,” Williams said. “Everyone watches ... pre-draft analysis and stuff like that, but it’s never completely accurate. I did think I was going to go top three, but I think it worked out pretty well. I’m under a lot of great players to learn from: Sheldon Richardson, Muhammad Wilkerson (and) Damon Harrison.”

Williams has 24 tackles, half a sack and 25 quarterback pressures.

“He’s learning some blocks right now,” Jets head coach Todd Bowles said in a conference call, “but he’s explosive off the ball and we like him.”

Bowles is also a fan of Cooper.

“We thought Amari was the best overall receiver” in the draft, Bowles said. “He’s the most complete receiver. We knew he could run all the routes and make all the catches. He was explosive off the ball, so he’s as advertised.”

Vic Tafur is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.