With the draft wrapped up, the Las Vegas Raiders have added a litany of young players. They drafted nine players and signed another 10 undrafted free agents. Those additions made the roster balloon up to 92 players so the team had to make a couple of cuts to get back to 90.
The Raiders announced that the two players getting cut are defensive back Jalen Elliott and offensive tackle Sebastian Gutierrez.
We have waived S Jalen Elliott and T Sebastian Gutierrez.
Both Elliott and Gutierrez spent time on the team’s practice squad last season but only the latter player in a game. Elliott came into the NFL as an undrafted free agent of the Detroit Lions. He played some games for them before moving to the New England Patriots. His previous ties to the time likely helped him land with the Raiders. He should still be on Las Vegas’ radar if they feel like they need more safety depth.
Gutierrez started off as a Denver Bronco but also spent a brief time with the Patriots before getting added to the Raiders practice squad. He suited up for one game last season where he played two special teams snaps. Las Vegas added some offensive line help in undrafted free agency so he was clearly an odd man out.
More Cuts Likely on the Way
Elliott and Gutierrez are just the first incumbent players to get cut post-draft but there are certainly more on the way. The Raiders’ roster is far from a finished product. General manager Dave Ziegler said that there are still moves the team would like to make.
“We still have some other areas of the team that we need to continue to grow and continue to work at, which that’ll kind of be the next phase that we’re getting into now,” Ziegler said during his April 29 media availability. “Looking at those areas, looking at what the other available players are, and see if there’s other ways that we can improve the team.”
Adding players means others get cut so there should be some more roster moves in the near future.
Raiders Praised for Christopher Smith Pick
Elliott was much more expendable thanks to the Raiders’ fifth-round pick of Georgia safety Christopher Smith II. He was expected to go higher in the draft so being able to get him so late could be a steal. Bleacher Report was really high on the selection and thought it was one of the best picks of the draft:
Smith’s film says he should be an early-round pick. His testing is that of an undrafted prospect. These two extremes need to be reconciled.
Purely from a value perspective, Smith’s selection with the 170th overall pick by the Las Vegas Raiders may be the best of the entire class. Bleacher Report’s Scouting Department had the former Bulldog as the second-best safety and the 35th overall prospect. His testing metrics aren’t great, but Smith plays at a high level.
The Raiders don’t have an elite safety duo right now so there will be chances for Smith to see the field as a rookie. Even if he doesn’t play a ton of snaps in his first year, he could have a bright future if the team develops him properly.
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Raiders Cut Veteran Defensive Back & Lineman