The Las Vegas Raiders got embarrassed for the second week in a row on primetime, thanks to a 33-16 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football. The team could’ve justifiably made big changes after such an ugly loss on a national stage, but it appears the coaching staff is safe for now.
However, not every player is. The Raiders announced on Tuesday that they have waived safety Chris Smith II and cut offensive lineman Leroy Watson from the practice squad.
Smith was drafted by former general manager Dave Ziegler in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. There was hope that the former Georgia standout could’ve been a late-round steal, but he hasn’t been able to get on the field.
He has played in nine games for the Raiders this season, but almost every snap has been on special teams. He never really had much of a chance to show what he could do on defense. The Raiders appear to have seen enough and wanted to move on. There’s a chance he could still be brought back on the practice squad.
Watson was signed to the practice squad back in October, but hasn’t played a snap for the Raiders yet. The former Tennessee Titans starter goes straight to free agency.
Pete Carroll Disappointed in Defense
The Raiders’ offense has been bad all year, so it wasn’t a surprise when they struggled to score points against the Cowboys. However, the defense has been playing solid football, especially against the Broncos.
The defense took a huge step back against the Cowboys, as they likely would’ve given up closer to 50 points if it weren’t for them taking their foot off the gas in the second half. Head coach Pete Carroll wasn’t happy with what he saw.
“I was really disappointed that we didn’t stop them more,” Carroll said following the loss. “There was a space in that game, three or four drives in a row, and we couldn’t get off the field.”
The Raiders’ defense lacks talent, so it makes sense that they would struggle against the better offenses, but the team as a whole can’t seem to do anything well this season.
Maxx Crosby Gets Honest About Defense
Defensive end Maxx Crosby continues to be the Raiders’ best defensive player, and he had a strip sack against the Cowboys. He can only do so much on his own, and he’s clearly frustrated with the team’s play.
“We’re not good enough right now,” Crosby said postgame. “There’s a lot of issues and we got to find ways to get better. Find solutions instead of just doing the same thing expecting a different result. We’ve got to find ways to get better and it takes everybody.”
The Raiders have seven games left to show that there are reasons to be hopeful about the future. Right now, it looks like they’d be better off starting from scratch. Luckily, there’s still time to turn things around. The playoffs aren’t going to happen, but they can at least go into the offseason with some confidence.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Raiders Cut Ties With Dave Ziegler Draft Pick & Veteran Lineman appeared first on Heavy Sports.