With two preseason games down and one to go, the Las Vegas Raiders’ 53-man roster is starting to take shape. Cutdown day is about a week away, Tuesday, August 26 at 1 p.m. PST, so the clock is ticking for the guys on the roster bubble. With that, let’s take another stab at predicting who makes the squad in Las Vegas, based on the preseason games against the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers and training camp.
As a reminder from last time:
For simplicity, it’s assumed that 25 offensive players,
25 defensive players and three specialists will make the roster in this exercise. That also can change as training camp goes on, as the coaching staff may decide to keep a different number of players at each position than what’s listed below.
To account for that, any player who has a star (*) next to their name means their status could change based on how many roster spots the coaching staff is allocating to that position. In other words, a ‘backup’ with a star is a ‘cut’ projection if the Raiders keep one fewer player than what’s listed below and vice versa.
Quarterback (3)
Previously:
Starter: Geno Smith
Backups: Aidan O’Connell*, Cam Miller
Cut: no one
Updated:
Starter: Geno Smith
Backups: Aidan O’Connell, Cam Miller*
Cut: no one
After Miller had the upper hand in the first preseason game, O’Connell was the better quarterback last weekend. However, both threw bad interceptions against the 49ers, which makes the backup job in Las Vegas an interesting one to keep tabs on over the next few weeks.
Running Back (4)
Previously:
Starter: Ashton Jeanty
Backups: Raheem Mostert, Zamir White*, Sincere McCormick
Cut: Dylan Laube, Chris Collier
Updated:
Starter: Ashton Jeanty
Backups: Raheem Mostert, Zamir White, Dylan Laube*
Cut: Sincere McCormick, Chris Collier
The coaching staff seems like what White brings to the table over McCormick, as the former is reportedly in a battle for the RB2 role with Mostert. Meanwhile, Laube offers more special teams value and has played well on special teams in both preseason games. That could make McCormick a bit of a surprise cut.
Wide Receiver (6)
Previously:
Starters: Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, Dont’e Thornton Jr.
Backups: Jack Bech, Tommy Mellott, Shedrick Jackson*
Cut: Alex Bachman*, Collin Johnson, Justin Shorter, Phillip Dorsett, Marquez Callaway, Ketron Jackson Jr.
Already cut: Seth Williams, Kyle Philips, Kawaan Baker
Updated:
Starters: Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, Dont’e Thornton Jr.
Backups: Jack Bech, Tommy Mellott, Alex Bachman*
Cut: Shedrick Jackson*, Collin Johnson, Phillip Dorsett, Justin Shorter, Marquez Callaway, Ketron Jackson Jr.
That sixth wide receiver spot is an interesting one, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Raiders roll with only five wideouts. While Jackson had a strong performance in Seattle, he was quiet against San Francisco. Meanwhile, Bachman offers value as a blocker in the running game, and the coaching staff might want to have a more experienced player to turn to off the bench if they opt to keep six receivers.
Tight End (3)
Previously:
Starter: Brock Bowers
Backups: Michael Mayer, Ian Thomas
Cut: Qadir Ismail, Carter Runyon, Albert Okwuegbunam*
Already Cut: Pat Conroy
Updated:
Starter: Brock Bowers
Backups: Michael Mayer, Ian Thomas
Cut: Qadir Ismail, Carter Runyon, Albert Okwuegbunam*
No changes at tight end since there doesn’t appear to be any position battles here. The only “surprise” at tight end would be if the coaching staff decides to roster four players. Ismail and Runyon seem like decent practice squad candidates, though.
Offensive Line (9)
Previously:
Starters: Kolton Miller, Dylan Parham, Jordan Meredith, Jackson Powers-Johnson, DJ Glaze
Backups: Thayer Munford Jr., Alex Cappa, Caleb Rogers, Charles Grant
Cut: Will Putnam*, Jarrod Hufford, Dalton Wagner, Gottlieb Ayedze, Parker Clements, Laki Tasi (IPP), Atonio Mafi
Updated:
Starters: Kolton Miller, Dylan Parham, Jordan Meredith, Jackson Powers-Johnson, DJ Glaze
Backups: Thayer Munford Jr., Alex Cappa, Caleb Rogers, Charles Grant
Cut: Will Putnam, Jarrod Hufford, Dalton Wagner, Gottlieb Ayedze, Parker Clements, Laki Tasi (IPP)*, Atonio Mafi
There are no changes here, except for moving the asterisk to Tasi, who has been impressive in the two preseason games. It’s just a matter of whether the organization is willing to risk him getting claimed on waivers, but it makes more sense to take advantage of the extra practice squad spot for him. Otherwise, there shouldn’t be too much drama on the offensive line, unless Munfored and/or Cappa emerge as a surprise cut.
Defensive End (4)
Previously:
Starters: Maxx Crosby, Malcolm Koonce
Backups: Tyree Wilson, Jah Joyner
Cut: Charles Snowden*, Andre Carter II, Ovie Oghoufo, Jahfari Harvey
Updated:
Starters: Maxx Crosby, Malcolm Koonce
Backups: Tyree Wilson, Charles Snowden
Cut: Jah Joyner, Andre Carter II*, Ovie Oghoufo, Jahfari Harvey
I was a little bold previously by having Joyner make the team, but he hasn’t done much in the first two preseason games. Meanwhile, Snowden and Carter have been better and are veterans whom the coaching staff likely trusts more. The undrafted rookie seems like a good candidate for the practice squad, though.
Defensive Tackle (5)
Previously:
Starters: Adam Butler, Jonah Laulu
Backups: Zach Carter, Tonka Hemingway, JJ Pegues, Thomas Booker IV*
Cut: Keondre Coburn, Tank Booker, Leki Fotu*, Treven Ma’ae
Already Cut: Christian Wilkins
Updated:
Starters: Adam Butler, Jonah Laulu
Backups: Zach Carter*, Tonka Hemingway, JJ Pegues, Thomas Booker IV
Cut: Keondre Coburn, Tank Booker, Leki Fotu*, Treven Ma’ae
Fotu’s injury has given Pegues a chance to prove himself at nose tackle (Fotu returned to practice Tuesday), and the rookie has looked solid in that role over the last two weeks. Barring an injury, it feels like defensive tackle is another position group that’s pretty solidified heading into the regular season, meaning it’s hard to see any changes during cutdown day.
Linebacker (6)
Previously:
Starters: Germaine Pratt, Elandon Roberts
Backups: Devin White, Jamal Adams, Tommy Eichenberg, Cody Lindenberg
Cut: Amari Gainer*, Jaylon Smith, Michael Barrett, Matt Jones
Updated:
Starters: Germaine Pratt, Elandon Roberts
Backups: Devin White, Jamal Adams, Tommy Eichenberg, Cody Lindenberg*
Cut: Amari Gainer, Jaylon Smith, Michael Barrett, Matt Jones
How many linebackers Las Vegas keeps is up for debate. It could be as many as seven or as few as five. It feels like we’re in for a surprise here, and that could be a decision between White and Adams.
Cornerback (5)
Previously:
Starters: Darien Porter, Eric Stokes
Backups: Decamerion Richardson, Darnay Holmes, Kyu Blu Kelly
Cut: Greedy Vance*, Sam Webb, John Humphrey, JT Woods
Already Cut/Traded: Jakorian Bennett
Updated:
Starters: Eric Stokes, Darien Porter
Backups: Decamerion Richardson, Darnay Holmes, Kyu Blu Kelly
Cut: Greedy Vance*, Sam Webb, John Humphrey, JT Woods
That second starting spot is still up for grabs, but it seems like the Raiders know which five cornerbacks they’ll keep on the 53-man roster. Vance was one of my early picks to make the team as a UDFA, but he hasn’t played well in his limited opportunities during the preseason. The USC product should have a spot on the practice squad, though.
Safety (5)
Previously:
Starters: Jeremy Chinn, Isaiah Pola-Mao, Thomas Harper (nickel)
Backups: Lonnie Johnson Jr.* (injured), Chris Smith II
Cut: Terrell Edmunds*, Trey Taylor, Hudson Clark
Update:
Starters: Jeremy Chinn (nickel), Isaiah Pola-Mao, Chris Smith II
Backups: Lonnie Johnson Jr.* (injured), Thomas Harper
Cut: Terrell Edmunds*, Trey Taylor, Hudson Clark
Safety could get interesting if the Raiders have Johnson begin the season on PUP, which is likely since he broke a fibula at the beginning of camp. Edmunds should be the beneficiary of that situation, as he’s competing with Smith for the third safety spot. Meanwhile, Harper has been banged up recently and has only taken one snap in the preseason, putting him on the chopping block.
Specialists (3)
Kicker: Daniel Carlson
Punter: A.J. Cole III
Long Snapper: Jacob Bobenmoyer
I’m pretty confident in this one!
