The Las Vegas Raiders‘ final roster cut didn’t feature any big surprises, but they did have to release a number of players that they liked. Luckily, none of the players they cut were claimed by other teams on waivers.
That means they got their pick of the litter when putting together the practice squad. The Raiders announced they have signed the following 16 players:
- Brandon Cleveland DT
- Jahfari Harvey DE
- Roman Hemby RB
- Niklas Henning T
- Devin Lafayette S
- Kansei Matsuzawa K
- Cameron McGrone LB
- Kamar Missouri T
- Chris Myarick TE
- Dare Ogunbowale RB
- Albert Okwuegbunam Jr. TE
- Will Putnam C
- Cian Slone DE
- Gary Smith III DT
- Deven Thompkins WR
- Greedy Vance CB
Takeaways From Practice Squad
The Raiders have a solid mix of youth and experience on the practice squad. Half of the players are rookies, seven being undrafted. Defensive tackle Brandon Cleveland was the only draft pick to get cut at the deadline, but the Raiders will be happy to get him back on the practice squad.
It’s interesting to see that the Raiders haven’t given up on kicker Kansei Matsuzawa. The “Tokyo Toe,” as his fans call him, was a viral sensation at Hawaii, but really struggled in the preseason. Despite that, the Raiders clearly still think he might have some potential. Matt Gay will be the kicker for now, but Matsuzawa may have a chance to earn a roster spot down the road, even if it’s next year.
Much was made of the Raiders’ decision to cut running backs Roman Hemby and Dare Ogunbowale. It’s unclear if Ashton Jeanty will be ready to play in Week 1, but the team only has two other running backs on the active roster. Getting Hemby and Ogunbowale on the practice squad gives the team a bit more flexibility. Notably, Hemby played with rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza at Indiana.
The Raiders have to be thrilled that nobody claimed defensive end Cian Slone. He looked really promising in the preseason, but he narrowly missed the active roster. He’ll have a chance to actually get some snaps this season and could eventually get promoted to the active roster down the road.
They also have to be happy to bring Greedy Vance back. He could help provide some depth at slot cornerback. The Raiders like him, but it was difficult to find a spot on the active roster for him.
Raiders Didn’t Bring in Any New Players
Surprisingly, every player the Raiders signed to the practice squad was with the team this offseason. They decided against bringing any outside faces.
The only new player they added was cornerback Darrell Luter Jr., who they claimed off the waiver wire after he was waived by the San Francisco 49ers. He’ll go straight to the active roster.
The Raiders had No. 1 priority on the waiver wire, so it’s a bit of a surprise they didn’t add more players. It could be a sign that they’re really happy with the players they already had in the building. The roster will continue to evolve, but it’ll look similar to how it does now for the rest of the year.
Raiders Sign 16 Players to Practice Squad, Including Fan Favorite & 2 RBs