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The Las Vegas Raiders no longer have a general manager with the firing of Mike Mayock but that isn’t going to stop them from making roster moves. There are plenty of people in place right now to keep the operation running while the team searches for a new general manager and possibly a new coaching staff. In the meantime, the team made sure to lock up a number of players who spent the year on the practice squad.
The Raiders announced that they’ve signed 12 players to Reserve/Future contracts.
The following players were signed to deals:
- S Jordan Brown
- G Lester Cotton Sr
- DB Kavon Frazier
- OL Hroniss Grasu
- DE Gerri Green
- C Brett Heggie
- DL PJ Johnson
- LB Justin March-Lillard
- OL Jeremiah Poutasi
- RB Trey Ragas
- WR Dillon Stoner
- WR DJ Turner
Perhaps the most notable player the Raiders are bringing back is Stoner. The undrafted free agent played in six games for the team this season and spent some time on the active roster. He couldn’t stick in the roster all season and didn’t get any offensive snaps. The Raiders liked him coming into the season so time will tell if he can carve a role on the offense anytime soon.
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Big Changes Could Be Coming for Raiders
All of these 12 players now have hope that they’ll be part of the Raiders next season but it’s not that simple. With Mayock out, a new general manager will be coming and constructing the roster as he sees fit. Some of these players could make the cut but it’s impossible to know for sure right now.
Also, the exiting of Mayock increases the chances that the Raiders look for a new head coach. The new coach will have limited familiarity with these players. Las Vegas is about to undergo some major changes. Yes, they made the playoffs this season but it’s clear that owner Mark Davis doesn’t believe what the team built was sustainable. He’s going to bring in a strong voice to run the football side of things.
Raiders Have a Lot of Key Free Agents
The Raiders have to be one of the most appealing openings in the NFL for head coaches and general managers. Not many playoff teams have openings at those positions. However, it’s not guaranteed that the team will be back in the playoffs next season. Whoever gets brought on has a lot of work to do.
Casey Hayward, Darius Philon, K.J. Wright, Solomon Thomas, Marcus Mariota, Brandon Facyson, Johnathan Hankins, Zay Jones and more are headed to free agency. All of those players were key contributors to the team’s success this season. Now, whether or not the Raiders want to keep any of these players will depend on the coaching staff brought in. Players Hayward, Wright, Philon and Facyson were all brought in because of their fit under defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. If he’s not brought back, the next defensive coordinator could have a very different vision for the defense.
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