Getty Las Vegas Raiders LB Ukeme Eligwe.
The Las Vegas Raiders just recently had a big roster cut down and also had two players opt-out of the season in the wake of COVID-19. On Tuesday, another name was added to the list of players for the team who won’t be playing this year. The Raiders signed linebacker Ukeme Eligwe late last season and gave him another shot to make the team this offseason. However, he will no longer have a chance to play for the team this offseason as the team announced that he’s opted out.
Eligwe was originally drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017 and started one game for the team. After one season, he made his way to the New York Giants where he played in 10 games. He then spent time on the practice squads for both the Tennessee Titans and New York Jets before the Raiders signed him to their active roster. He’ll now have to wait until 2021 for his next opportunity.
Devontae Booker off of COVID-19 List
Eligwe opting out wasn’t the only roster move for the Raiders on Tuesday. In some good news, the team revealed that running back Devontae Booker is no longer on the COVID-19 list. It’s not clear if he tested positive for the disease or came in contact with somebody who did, but all that matters is that he’s back.
However, since he’s been gone the Raiders signed former NFL rushing touchdowns leader Jeremy Hill. The team’s running back room is pretty stacked right now. It seems that Hill, Booker and Rod Smith will all be competing for one spot. Hill missed all of last season with an injury so he’ll have a significant amount of rust he’ll need to scrape off. Booker was really impressive in his rookie year with the Denver Broncos but didn’t have much of a role with the team over the last few seasons. It should be interesting to see how the battle plays out.
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Raiders Waive P.J. Hall
The P.J. Hall saga should finally be coming to an end for the Raiders. He was originally cut and then traded and then not traded. After the trade with the Minnesota Vikings fell through, the team officially placed Hall on waivers. He’ll now have a chance to be claimed by another team. If not, he’ll move on to free agency.
It’s been a rocky few days for the former second-round pick but most of it is his fault. The Vikings clearly wanted him but he failed the physical which likely means he’s not in great shape right now. The Raiders knew this and that’s why they let him go. They’ve added a few talented defensive linemen this offseason and no longer had room for the disappointing Hall. He does have talent so a team will definitely take a chance on him at some point but he’s going to need to get in shape. It’s not too late for Hall to turn his career around.
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