The Las Vegas Raiders have to get their roster down to 53 players and are starting to let players know that they won’t be back. Ahead of Tuesday’s deadline, the team announced 18 players who have been waived or released.
Here’s a breakdown of the players who were waived:
- Gottlieb Ayedze T
- Michael Barrett LB
- Tank Booker DT
- Andre Carter II DE
- Hudson Clark S
- Parker Clements T
- Keondre Coburn DT
- Amari Gainer LB
- Jarrod Hufford C
- John Humphrey CB
- Qadir Ismail TE
- Ketron Jackson Jr. WR
- Jah Joyner DE
- Sam Webb CB
The following four players have been released outright.
- Marquez Callaway WR
- Phillip Dorsett II WR
- Collin Johnson WR
- Jaylon Smith LB
The Raiders still have a lot of work to do to get the roster down to 53 players, but this helps get them in a better position before the August 26 deadline. There aren’t any big surprises, but there are some standout names who won’t be back with the team.
Notable Roster Cuts
The big names that stand out who got cut are wide receiver Phillip Dorsett and linebacker Jaylon Smith. The former is a former first-round pick and was the most experienced wide receiver on the roster. The latter is a former Pro Bowler who has experience working under defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.
This further shows that the Raiders are committed to staying young at wide receiver, as the three wide receivers released outright were veterans.
Potential Practice Squad Players
Though the Raiders are cutting a lot of players, they will almost certainly try to get some of these guys back on the practice squad. Defensive end Jah Joyner stands out as a player whom they could try to get back. He’s shown some promise in training camp this offseason and could be a player worth developing.
Cornerback Sam Webb has been around the franchise for a few years now and always manages to stay on the team in some capacity. Linebacker Amari Gainer should be another name to watch as a practice squad addition.
Raiders Looking to Add Players
The Raiders are likely to cut the roster down to get below 53 players so that they have room to add other names. Hundreds of players are about to become free agents, and the Raiders are bound to like some of them.
Quarterback is a major position to watch. Aidan O’Connell is out for six to eight weeks, and the Raiders won’t want to rely on rookie Cam Miller to back up Geno Smith. Head coach Pete Carroll admitted that they will be looking to add a quarterback.
“I want somebody who’s played,” Carroll said. “That’s what’s important. Somebody who’s had game experience is huge to me. We have Cam [Miller] and Cam hasn’t played much in the league, so we’re looking for an experienced player who can help us.”
It remains to be seen what kind of quarterback the Raiders will want to add, but it won’t be a young player. They need somebody who can competently run the offense in the event that Smith misses time.
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