The Las Vegas Raiders, along with the rest of the NFL, had to cut their roster down to 53 players. Going from 90 players to 53 is no small task.
The Raiders finally announced all of their moves. While there weren’t any huge shockers, there were a couple of notable names to not make the cut.
Notably, kicker Kansei Matsuzawa is among the cuts. This isn’t a big surprise. He really struggled in the preseason. The Raiders were even open about the fact that he likely wasn’t going to make the team. If he clears waivers, there could be a path for him to return to the practice squad, or even be given an IPP exemption. For now, Matt Gay will be the kicker for the Raiders.
Another notable name to get cut was wide receiver Shedrick Jackson. He’s the nephew of Bo Jackson and was on the team last season. He has shown flashes of being a playmaker in the past, but nothing consistent. He’ll be another strong candidate to get back on the practice squad. Wide receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr. made the cut and wasn’t placed on Injured Reserve, so that’s a good sign he’ll be ready to play when the season starts.
Other Notable Cuts
Rookie defensive end Cian Slone has done nothing but impress the Raiders in training camp and the preseason. Despite that, it wasn’t enough to keep him on the roster. He’ll be a high priority to get on the practice squad, but another team could swoop him up.
Running backs Roman Hemby and Dare Ogunbowale were both let go. That’s a good sign that Ashton Jeanty will be ready to play early in the season. The young running back also wasn’t placed on IR after suffering an ankle injury in practice. Right now, it would only be Mike Washington Jr. and Dylan Laube as the running backs on the roster. The Raiders could look to bring Hemby or Ogunbowale to the practice squad.
Of this year’s draft picks, everybody made the roster except one player. Seventh-round pick Brandon Cleveland was among the cuts. His name didn’t come up much in camp, so he likely didn’t make a strong impression. He’ll be another candidate for the practice squad.
Roster Moves Not Done Yet
Just because the Raiders have announced their 53-man roster right now doesn’t mean it won’t change soon. Hundreds of players around the NFL just became available. The Raiders have No. 1 priority on the waiver wire, so they’re going to get the first pick of the players who got let go at the deadline.
While the players who made the roster right now can breathe a sigh of relief, many of them don’t have a guaranteed spot just yet. The Raiders have plenty of holes on the roster. They could use more offensive line depth, another defensive end and help at wide receiver.
The Raiders will be looking closely at the players at those positions who just became available. The roster will continue to evolve in the coming days.
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