The Las Vegas Raiders are putting their finishing touches on the roster for offseason minicamps. The team will add some salary cap space next month but that money will mainly be used on signing draft picks. Outside of a couple of moves here and there, the roster will look largely the same as it does now throughout the offseason.
The Raiders only made six draft picks this year and had no picks in the first two rounds. This could lead to some opportunities for undrafted free agents to make the roster. Perhaps the most notable signing the team has made in undrafted free agency was former Notre Dame defensive lineman Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa.
Tagovailoa-Amosa spent five years at Notre Dame and has spent time as a team captain. In those five seasons, he notched 5.5 sacks and 17.0 tackles for loss. He had some injuries early in his college career but became a key player for the Fighting Irish. Notably, Tagovailoa-Amosa is the cousin of Miami Dolphins quarterback and former top-10 draft pick Tua Tagovailoa.
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Tagovailoa-Amosa Named Among Top UDFA Signings
Undrafted free agency isn’t overloaded with top talent but the Raiders have found good players in the past. All-Pro punter A.J. Cole was an undrafted free agent signing and so is starting center Andre James. Tagovailoa-Amosa will have a chance to make the roster as he was considered one of the better rookies to go undrafted.
Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic named the defensive end as the best undrafted free agent fit for the Raiders.
“Tua Tagovailoa’s cousin, Tagovailoa-Amosa got off to a slow start at ND after a foot injury during his sophomore season,” Baumgardner wrote. “But he found a way back, earning a team captain nod as a full-time starter in 2021 who played with all sorts of effort. Good on the edge, never stops working and chopping with his hands.”
If the Raiders end up running a 3-4 defense, Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones will likely be playing outside linebacker. That would give opportunity at defensive end. Tagovailoa-Amosa can play at tackle or end but the Raiders have added a lot of tackles this offseason. There will be a better shot at making the roster defensive end. That should be the position that he pushes to line up in when the Raiders hit training camp.
Tagovailoa-Amosa Was a Raiders Fan
Tagovailoa-Amosa joining the Raiders means a lot more to him than just signing with any other team. The defensive end’s father, who passed away last year at the age of 53, was a Raiders fan. He didn’t get a chance to see his son sign with the silver and black but Tagovailoa-Amosa made sure to send a message to his late father.
There’s no doubt Tagovailoa-Amosa’s father would be thrilled to see his son playing with the Raiders. The defensive lineman has an easy story to root for and could be this year’s Keelan Doss.
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