Getty Las Vegas Raiders HC Jon Gruden.
With free agency just a few weeks away, the Las Vegas Raiders have started to make some roster moves. They already released wide receiver Tyrell Williams and more moves are incoming. On Monday, the team announced that they waived linebacker Ukeme Eligwe and defensive end Jeremiah Valoaga, and the release of defensive back D.J. Killings.
We have waived LB Ukeme Eligwe and DE Jeremiah Valoaga and released DB D.J. Killings.
None of the three players released played a game last season due to the fact that they opted-out because of COVID-19. All of them were part of the Raiders during the 2019 season and received Reserve/Futures contract after the season, which is why they stayed with the team through the 2020 season. Each of the players is 26-years-old or younger, so they could get another chance to get back on the roster.
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How Will the Raiders Clear Cap Space?
While it’s good for the Raiders to be making moves now, cutting three practice squad level players isn’t going to open up much cap space. The team is going to need to make a number of moves before free agency. Cutting Williams was the first step and saved the Raiders $11.6 million. Even with that move, the team is about $9 million over the cap.
Las Vegas will still need to make some moves so that they can have some spending money in free agency. Defensive back LaMarcus Joyner will almost certainly be let go. He’s set to make $10 million in 2021, but if he’s cut, he’ll be owed $2.5 in dead money. That’s not ideal but the Raiders need to cut their losses on Joyner.
Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota is also a strong candidate to be moved off the roster this offseason. If the Raiders keep him, he’ll be making $10.6 million just to be a backup. There’s no way the team can afford to pay that. It’s possible that Mariota could get traded away, but that’s seeming less likely now. Regardless, it’s hard to imagine he’s still on the roster at the start of training camp.
Raiders Will Have to Nail the Draft
No matter how much money the Raiders spend in free agency, they’re not going to have any sustained success if they don’t get better at drafting. The 2019 class had a few solid additions like Maxx Crosby, Josh Jacobs and Hunter Renfrow but it’s still unclear if they found a single difference-maker in the 2020 class.
The Raiders hired general manager Mike Mayock mostly because of his draft expertise. If there’s anything the team should be good at, it should be drafting. The 2021 NFL Draft will represent some big challenges for Las Vegas. There’s no Combine and face-to-face contact with prospects is likely to be very limited. The Raiders are really going to have to rely on game tape for this year’s draft. Whether or not that’s a good or bad thing remains to be seen. Even without all the pre-draft workouts, there should be plenty of talent in the class. The Raiders just have to identify it.
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