NAPA, Calif. -- With Gareon Conley cleared legally by a grand jury on Monday, the Oakland Raiders' first-round draft pick can now focus on preparing physically for his rookie season.

The cornerback has been dealing with shin splints, Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie said. Conley began training camp on the physically unable to perform list after missing the final two practices of minicamp with an injury in mid-June.

So how much has it hurt Conley to not be on the field?

"Well, I think any football player, what they do is play ball," said Raiders defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. "The only place they have to get better is on the field. I don't think anyone is going to get better by not playing.

"I'm the coach. When they show up, I'm ready to coach them. That's all I have to say about that."

Conley saw reps as the first-team slot cornerback in OTAs and the first day of minicamp before being shut down. McKenzie said Conley possesses the skill set to become a No. 1 cornerback in the NFL.

That would mean supplanting either David Amerson or Sean Smith in Oakland.

"He has a lot of ability," Amerson said of Conley. "He's long. He looks like a basketball player, so he's got a lot of tools that can really be coached up and really be good in this league."

Amerson, who is entering his fifth season in the NFL, said he did not speak with Conley about the rookie's legal issues. Rather, they talked football.

"Stay locked in," Amerson said he told Conley. "Control what you can control. Just be locked in mentally.

"He's a rookie, so it's a process. You're taking steps and once he gets out there it will be more fluid for him."

McKenzie said Conley will transition from observing practice to actually participating in training camp shortly after he starts running again.

Given Conley was expected to go in the top 10 before being accused of sexual assault the week of the draft, what does Norton want to see from the No. 24 overall pick?

"Well, first you want to get him on the field," Norton said. "Then just see him run. I think in minicamp we were all very happy. Everyone who saw him move and catch and coach and learn. Very happy with his length and speed and his ability to jump in and play on the outside or play in the inside. The way he really digested all the work.

"Now football is 'sometimes you're available and sometimes you're not,' and we have to really [focus on] the classroom side of it. There's more than just being on the field, there's a lot of classroom work that he has to work on and learn that he's really able to catch up on."