Moore trying to bring good energy to Raiders

[RF34]

May 16, 2013, 8:15 am

ALAMEDA -- To be honest, a linebacker wearing No. 55 flying all over the field Saturday was the most stunning sight at the Raiders' open rookie camp practice.

Then again, the guy rocking No. 55 was not Rolando McClain. Rather, it was third-round draft pick Sio Moore wearing the double-nickel and showing an energy sorely missing from those digits the past three years.

So was there any purpose in Moore choosing the number so reviled by fans of late? Yes. But not what you'd think.

"The P.R. guy called my house the day after the draft and he gave me some numbers to choose from," Moore said with a smile. "I went to my mom, she said '55.' I said, '55.'

"You don't go against mom. Not when Mother's Day close."

McClain became the Baltimore Ravens' problem when they chose to sign him after the Raiders waived him. And while McClain's "retirement" was announce by the Ravens on Wednesday, Moore is just getting started. In fact, he said he respected the "passion" and "dedication" of another former Baltimore linebacker in the retired Ray Lewis, but Moore said his goal was for another linebacker to look up to him years down the road.

"Everything is a learning experience, but we've got to pick it up," Moore said of the recently-concluded mini-camp.

"I love it. They've given me an opportunity to do a little bit of everything. And it's just right now, learning it all and really being exact…being exact and perfect."

The Raiders coached Moore in the Senior Bowl, where he also played some defensive end and had a sack of Oklahoma's Landry Jones.

In Saturday's practice, Moore played both strongside and weakside linebacker and rushed the passer.

"His ability to understand multiple positions has been good," said Raiders coach Dennis Allen. He's a guy that, like I said after we drafted him, he loves football. He wants to work. He wants to get better. And he's a guy that I just think is going to continue to get better as he gets comfortable with the scheme."

A year ago, the Raiders' 25 sacks ranked 31st in the 32-team NFL. And only eight of those sacks return in Lamarr Houston (4), Andre Carter (2.5) and Miles Burris (1.5).

Might then the 6-feet-1, 240-pound Moore be a fit to replicate the production of the departed Philip Wheeler, who had three sacks last season?

"He's got some of those attributes," Allen said. "He's athletic in space, which was something Philip was really good at. I think he's got great awareness for the game and he's probably got a little bit more coming off the edge. Phil was really good inside, had a lot of wiggle. Sio has probably got a little bit more edge rush to him."

Before all of that, though, Moore realizes there is more studying to do, as preached by his fellow UConn Husky, strong safety Tyvon Branch.

"When the veterans come out here," Moore said, "the stuff that we'e learning now is (stuff they know) like the back of their hands."