News, notes and quotes from Raiders practice at the Pennyhill Pak Luxury Hotel and Spa Thursday:



— Maurice Jones-Drew participated fully in practice and should play against Miami Sunday at Wembley Stadium, likely to spell Darren McFadden after missing two games Jones-Drew said he thought he could have played last week but coaches were being cautious, making sure he could protect himself.

“Signs are pointing that he should be able to go this weekend,” Raiders coach Dennis Allen said.

At one point, Jones-Drew stopped in mid-sentence when I was looking at his surgically-repaired right hand.

“I see you looking at the hand,” Jones-Drew said. “Don’t worry.”

Jones-Drew said can engage as a blocker and carry the ball in his right hand and hoped to be available to spell Darren McFadden.

Likewise, Miles Burris, although limited in practice, appears on course to start at middle linebacker. Burris said the protective boot he wore for two days was “precautionary” and that he was pleased to be on the field and “in the game plan.”

— Safety Brandian Ross was in a familiar uniform in a foreign country and preparing to face the team that waived him just a few days ago and still trying to sort it all out.

“I didn’t know it was Thursday,’’ Ross said. “I thought it was Wednesday still. I’m pretty jacked up. It’s just weird. I feel like the red-headed stepchild. I’m still trying to take it in as far as what transpired, that I’m back with Oakland. It’s all sinking in.’’

While waiting to board an eight-hour flight from Miami to London, Ross took to social media to spar with critics and bond with fans. A starter for 14 games last season after Tyvon Branch broke his ankle, Ross experienced some rough games for a 4-12 team and Raider fans aren’t shy about hammering away anonymously through Twitter.

Rather than ignore those who criticized his play, Ross (@BrandianRoss) engaged them.

“Everything happens for a reason. There’s a reason I’m here and you’re not,’’ Ross tweeted at one point.

“That’s just fun,’’ Ross said. “People are entitled to their opinion. I’ve learned through life that if you listen to people’s opinions too much it’s going to start to affect you. So I play with it and it makes ‘em mad because I don’t take them seriously. I really enjoy it then,. And I love the fans that give me so much encouragement.’’

Ross struggled through much of last season after replacing Tyvon Branch, who was lost with a broken ankle. Defensive coordinator Jason Tarver was pleased to have him back.

“I’m very excited that Brandian’s here,’’ Tarver said. “He’s done great things for us. He can play many positions and he’s such a great, smart, in the moment player that you can ask a lot of things and he can come through.’’

It’s not inconceivable that Ross could be active against Miami, playing special teams and backing up Usama Young at strong safety.

“We’ve got him in here early enough in the week where we feel like we can catch him up and get him up to speed,’’ Raiders coach Dennis Allen said. “We’ve got a couple of days still before we have to play, but I think he can step in and fill a role for us.’’

— Teammates and coaches felt badly for Branch, who will need surgery on a foot fracture and miss the remaining 13 games of the season. Branch missed 14 last season with a broken ankle.

“It hurts man, more than for the team. You hurt for the player,” free safety Charles Woodson said. “He missed a large part of last season, he’s feeling good, playing well for us, and now he’s out again.”

— Tarver was encouraged by the defensive performance against New England because it appeared the defensive players were getting the hang of playing together.

“We’ve shown flashes of who we can be and that more players, we hope, showed who they are,” Tarver said. “We said, that’s your job, to do that every week. A lot of players who have played well in other places showed who they can be and who we can be. And we expect that to go forward and continue.”

After stressing the importance of winning one-on-one battles, Tarver saw more of that against the Patriots, with one player in particular catching his eye.

“Khalil Mack shed everybody,” Tarver said. He was outstanding. He was all over the field. You can look at it and say he doesn’t have a sack, but that guy is all over the place right now. He’s hitting the heck of the quarterback and go ahead and try to run on his side, that’d be great. . But he’s one of a whole bunch of guys who shed blocks and hit the quarterback. Justin Tuck was better, Woodley was better. That’s who we can be when we do it right. So we need to stay in that mode.

— Despite a large British media contingent, the Dolphins-Raiders game was non represented in the tabloids and newspapers, which focus primarily on “football” (soccer) and Ryder Cup golf.

There remains lots of talk that the NFL wants to place a team in London, although logistically there will be issues to having teams travel there each week. Even in Miami, because of its location in the southern United States, requires an eight-hour trip to get there _ only two or two and a half hours less than a non-stop trip from San Francisco to London.

Left tackle Donald Penn has played in three games in London and has seen the interest rise among the fan base.

“There was a lot of empty seats the first time, the second time, hardly any empty seats,” Penn said. “I think it was sold out. Hopefully it will keep building. I’m glad they’re bringing more games over here. I think it’s a good thing.”

Tuck has played in London as well and agreed with a British television reporter who thought an NFL team based in London was inevitable.

“I definitely see the difficulties in it, but I do think it’s just bound to happen,” Tuck said. “The NFL is branding and reaching out and it seems like every other sport is doing the same as well. So I do agree with you in the fact that it’s kind of more when it will happen, but there are a lot of questions and a lot of things that have be solidified before it does.”