Teams across the NFL are putting the finishing touches on their rosters before the start of Week 1. The Las Vegas Raiders decided to waive offensive guard Atonio Mafi in favor of Bryce Cabeldue.
They were likely hoping Mafi would clear waivers so they could add him to the practice squad, but that won’t be the case. According to the NFL transaction wire, the Tennessee Titans have claimed Mafi, which means he’ll go straight to the active roster.
This is good news for the veteran offensive guard, as he’ll have a better chance to play. He first came into the NFL as a fifth-round pick by the New England Patriots.
This is a return to the AFC South for Mafi, who played for the Indianapolis Colts in 2024. He joined the Raiders last season and started two games. He’ll likely not be in the mix to start immediately in Tennessee, but he’s in a better position to work himself up the depth chart.
Dolphins OC Praises Maxx Crosby
The Raiders are gearing up for their first game of the season, and it’ll be the first real action for defensive end Maxx Crosby since getting hurt last year. Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik knows his team has a problem with Crosby.
“The guy’s an unbelievable player,” Slowik said of Crosby, via Raiders.com. “He just plays with his hair on fire. It’s so fun to watch his film. I mean, it really is. He’s everywhere. He could be on the backside of a pass or a run play 25 yards off the screen and next thing you know, he’s like 30 yards down the field just laying out making the tackle. I mean, it’s unbelievable to watch. As a pass rusher, he’s a very efficient pass rusher. Like I think he’s a top 10 pass rusher in the NFL at least, that’s at minimum. But what really is like impressive when you watch him, like his run defense is elite – and I mean elite, elite. We’ve talked about that as much as we’ve talked about the pass portion of it. He’s just a very, very good all-around elite player.”
Ashton Jeanty Set to Play
The Raiders won’t have tight end Brock Bowers in Week 1, but running back Ashton Jeanty has been cleared to play. He has no injury designation heading into the game.
Dolphins defensive coordinator Sean Duggan had praise for the young running back.
“I think what makes him a really good back, obviously he’s got speed,” Duggan said. “His stop/start’s really good. He can accelerate and hit his top speed very fast, which makes him a home run threat. And then I think the thing that people notice about him is his contact balance. He’s a back that does not go down easily. He can take hits, he keeps running, he fights for extra yards, runs behind his pads. He’s a good pass catcher out of the backfield. I know he showed that a lot in college. I just have a lot of respect for the way he runs the football. You know he very rarely just goes down on the first hit and goes backwards.”
Ex-Raiders Veteran Lands With Titans Before Season