Getty Chris Lacy with Las Vegas Raiders teammates.
The Las Vegas Raiders have to cut their roster down to 53 players on August 29 and are already getting ahead of some moves. The team announced eight roster cuts on August 27.
Among the notable roster cuts were quarterback Chase Garbers and wide receiver Chris Lacy, who were both waived.
We have made the following roster moves.
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Defensive tackle Doug Costin, linebacker Isaac Darkangelo, cornerback Ike Brown, cornerback Bryce Cosby, offensive guard Vitaliy Gurman and running back Darwin Thompson were the other six roster cuts. Garbers was a logical cut with the emergence of fourth-round pick Aidan O’Connell. The rookie took the bulk of preseason snaps while Garbers only saw the field briefly. He spent all of last season with the Raiders so there’s a chance he’ll be brought back on the practice squad.
Lacy was always going to have a hard time making the roster with the Raiders having a very deep wide receiver group. Similar to Garbers, Lacy spent all of last season in Las Vegas but that experience wasn’t enough to get him a spot this year. There weren’t any major surprises among the first crop of roster cuts.
3 Players Sent to IR
The Raiders don’t have to cut players to open up roster spots. There’s also the Injured Reserve for banged-up players. If they’re on the IR, they don’t count against the 53-man roster. The team also announced that running back Brittain Brown, tight end Jacob Hollister and wide receiver Isaiah Zuber are all headed to the IR. This means that the season is over for all three unless they are cut or able to reach an injury settlement with the team.
Brown, Zuber and Hollister were all on the Raiders at points during last season. Brown was on the active roster for the entire season but was only active for six games. The team can’t carry five running backs again this season so this is a way for them to keep Brown around without having to let him hit the open market.
Players on Roster Bubble to Watch
While the first wave of cuts didn’t have any major surprises for the Raiders, there are typically a few notable cuts every year. One player that has to be feeling the pressure is cornerback Amik Robertson. He started seven games for the team last season but has struggled in preseason. He is squarely on the roster bubble.
Duke Shelley is another small cornerback to keep an eye on. He was signed as a free agent this offseason but hasn’t done much to stand out in training camp or preseason. One of the final cornerback spots may come down to him and Robertson. It’s difficult to know who has the edge right now.
Running back Brandon Bolden should have a roster spot locked up due to his ties to the coaching staff but do the Raiders really need four running backs on the active roster? Josh Jacobs, Zamir White and Ameer Abdullah are all locks to make the roster. If there’s going to be a running back cut, it’s going to be Bolden. However, the fact that Brittain Brown is headed to Injured Reserve helps his chances of keeping a roster spot.
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