Getty Former Kansas City Chiefs WR Demarcus Robinson.
It’s been a competitive training camp for the Las Vegas Raiders with wide receiver being one of the most competitive groups. The top two spots are set with Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow but there’s been fierce competition for the third wide receiver spot. Mack Hollins appears to be the early favorite but things could still change.
One player who was quickly falling behind was Demarcus Robinson. The former Kansas City Chiefs deep threat joined the Raiders this offseason and was expected to have a role in the offense. That won’t end up being the case. Las Vegas announced a number of roster cuts and Robinson was among them.
We have made the following roster moves » t.co/Q1y4U8zSWs
This move comes as a bit of surprise as Robinson had some success with the Chiefs. As great as Adams and Renfrow are, neither are considered deep threats. Robinson could’ve filled that void but it appears that Tyron Johnson likely surpassed him. The Raiders are doing Robinson a favor as he wasn’t likely to see a lot of targets in this offense. He’ll now have a chance to sign with a team where he can have a bigger role.
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Raiders Cut 4 Other Players
Robinson wasn’t the only player to get the ax. Defensive tackle Vernon Butler also got cut while cornerback Nate Brooks, defensive end Gerri Green and offensive tackle Tyrone Wheatley Jr. Butler is perhaps the most notable as he was a first-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in 2016. Cutting him could be a sign that Bilal Nichols and Johnathan Hankins are close to returning from the Physically Unable to Perform List.
Wheatley is the son of former Raiders running back Tyrone Wheatley. He played six seasons with the team. His son was an undrafted free agent in 2020 and was also briefly on the Chicago Bears. Green has been on and off the Raiders roster since 2020 but now that there’s a new coaching staff, he might need to move on.
Other Roster Cuts to Watch
Based on the Robinson roster cut, it’s clear that Josh McDaniels and company aren’t scared to make tough moves. There could be quite a few more down the road. Running back Kenyan Drake needs to watch his back. In the preseason game against Minnesota Vikings, Drake took 17 snaps while Ameer Abdullah sat out. That’s a great sign for Abdullah and a bad sign for Drake.
Amik Robertson can’t feel too comfortable either. He’s played well in training camp but the Raiders had him play in the Vikings game. That means they need to see more from him. He could be on the roster bubble right now. There could always be a few big surprises before the season starts. It remains to be seen who will start to slip and let go of a spot. There are only a handful of players on the roster who are truly safe. Players from last year’s team should be especially worried considering McDaniels has no allegiance to them.
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Raiders Surprisingly Cut Ex-Chiefs WR & 4 Others