Getty Former Las Vegas Raiders WR Chris Lacy.
The Las Vegas Raiders have been having to slowly trim down their roster to get to the league-mandated 80 players. The biggest surprises so far were wide receiver Demarcus Robinson and Kenyan Drake getting cut. The team also made some trades by sending out quarterback Nick Mullens and defensive back Tyree Gillespie.
Based on some of the cuts the Raiders have made, it’s clear that only a handful of players are truly safe. The team announced that they’ve also cut wide receiver Chris Lacy and defensive back Chris Jones.
We have made the following roster moves » t.co/mkXobV5ZZ6
Lacy joined the Raiders this offseason after spending the last two years with the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears. Las Vegas’ wide receiver room is one of the strongest groups on the roster so it was always going to be difficult for Lacy to stand out. What also worked against Lacy is that he’s a bigger wide receiver at 6-foot-3. Mack Hollins has essentially clamped down the spot as the big wide receiver. The veteran wide receiver should be able to land on another roster before the season starts.
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DJ Turner Could Makes Raiders Roster
One of the biggest surprises of training camp has been wide receiver DJ Turner. Nobody would’ve had him earning a spot on the active roster when the regular season started but he might make it happen. He’s stood out in camp as a returner and as a backup slot receiver to Hunter Renfrow. The fact that he’s outlasted veterans like Robinson and Lacy bodes very well for his chances.
Turner was with the team last year but spent the season on the practice squad. He could get his first regular season reps this year. Regardless, he’s excited about any opportunity he can get to play in the NFL.
“Just trying to lock in as much as I can. It was kind of tough not playing, but at the same time, it’s still a blessing to be here,” Turner said recently. “So kind of taking that mindset every week and approaching every day in practice like, ‘Alright let’s find a way to get better.’ No matter what it was servicing the team, just do what I can to not only help them but help myself out as much too. I kind of took my victories from that as well, you know what I mean, just trying to develop myself and just taking the blessing to be an NFL player in general.”
Other Players on Roster Bubble
The Raiders only had minor surprises with the first round of roster cuts but there should be some bigger ones coming. With the decision to cut Drake, Clelin Ferrell should be nervous. The former fourth overall draft pick has barely played in training camp due to injury and general manager Dave Ziegler isn’t afraid to take on dead money. Ferrell needs to really stand out these next couple of weeks or he could be let go.
Other than Ferrell, there aren’t any more notable names that stand out as obvious cut candidates but some players could separate from the pack in the coming weeks.
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