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The Las Vegas Raiders are due for a surprising roster cut prior to Tuesday’s deadline. It’s seeming more and more likely that surprise comes from the wide receiver position. Henry Ruggs, Bryan Edwards and Hunter Renfrow are safe but it’s anybody’s guess who may get the last two to three spots at the position left.
When the Raiders signed John Brown, it seemed like he would be a lock. The veteran has two 1,000+ yard seasons in his career and his last one was just in 2019. He’s got the best track record of success out of any wide receiver currently on the roster. However, he could be on the bubble. Brown played in the Raiders’ last preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday when many starters didn’t even show up. Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report is now predicting that Brown could be on the market very soon:
Head coach Jon Gruden spoke highly of wideout Zay Jones, who hauled in all three of his targets for 57 yards against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1 of the preseason. He’ll likely make the final 53-man roster, which potentially leaves two slots at the position.
Brown and Snead may contend for one spot if the Raiders want to keep a wide receiver who’s a capable kick returner. As Vic Tafur of The Athletic tweeted, the former played in Sunday’s preseason finale, which ‘is not a good sign for him.’ Meanwhile, the latter suited up for emergency only. Brown finished the game with one catch for two yards.
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Jon Gruden Explains Why Brown Played
Now, just because Brown played doesn’t mean his fate is sealed. He’s on a new team with a complicated offense and they may have just wanted to give him reps. Head coach Jon Gruden had a chance to explain why he played the wide receiver.
“We have to play somebody,” Gruden said of Brown and safety Karl Joseph. “Both of those guys have been nicked up throughout camp. We just haven’t had a chance to see them much, so we wanted to see them today. Last call. We wanted to see those guys run around a little bit so we could get some type of evaluation.”
The fact that Brown has been knicked up could be working against him. He missed seven games last season due to injury and the Raiders won’t want to hold a roster spot for a player who might have issues getting on the field.
Who Could Take Brown’s Spot?
Brown is a proven player and is only 31-years-old. He should at least have a couple of more seasons as a productive receiver. If he doesn’t make the team, it means the Raiders are excited about somebody else. It looks like Zay Jones and Willie Snead may have spots locked down. That means Brown will have to fight off Dillon Stoner or DJ Turner, who are both undrafted rookies.
What could be appealing to the Raiders is that both guys can play on special teams if they need them to. At this point in Brown’s career, he’s not playing special teams. If he doesn’t make the team, it will likely be in favor of either Stoner or Turner.
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