Jon Gruden’s voice carries over the practice field in Alameda, but the Raiders coach’s shadow looms larger.



The shadow not only sees who is in shape, but who is working hard to get in better shape. The shadow has a plan for every player, but also is an observer, seeing which veterans are coasting and which are helping younger players.



The NFL weight room is the ground floor for team building — “the mental toughness (and) camaraderie starts down there,” Gruden said — and the shadow, or Tom Shaw, the Raiders strength and conditioning coach, makes sure the players are grinding.



“We have a great bunch of guys,” Shaw said Wednesday in his weight-room office. “I have been impressed. There are no turds. We brought in a lot of new guys and everyone is competing hard. We are going to cut some good players in August, guys who will be on the street for about 30 minutes.”



When Gruden was...