The Oakland Raiders have trimmed their roster down to 75 players, nearly 24 hours in advance of the first cut deadline.
Vic Tafur noted that the team would do so, prior to today’s practice. Probably in an effort to ensure no players due to be released would be injured.
Before practice starts in an hour https://t.co/r36OTm77nO
— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) August 29, 2016
There were 14 cuts in total, with Gabe Holmes being placed on injured reserve. There was one surprise cut today, and that was Leon Orr.
Here is the full list:
- Ross Burbank (C)
- Andrew East (LS)
- Chris Edwards (S)
- Chris Hackett (S)
- Jimmy Hall (S)
- Joe Hansley (WR)
- Tramain Jacobs (DB)
- Lenny Jones (LB)
- Max McCaffrey (WR)
- Leon Orr (DT)
- Nathan Palmer (WR)
- Giorgio Tavecchio (K)
- Colton Underwood (TE)
- Terran Vaughn (G/C)
Orr comes as a surprise, at least for the first round of cuts. For the 53-man roster, he was likely close to the fringe, but figured to be safe. But he didn’t play in the third preseason game, so that apparently was a sign of things to come.
The impressive play of UDFA Darius Latham may have made the team comfortable enough to release Orr, so we’ll see if Latham in fact makes the 53-man roster.
In my 53-man roster projection, I had nine of the players correct for today’s cuts. I figured Tavecchio and East would get to stick around to play in the fourth preseason game, to give Janikowski and Condo some rest. And I had Hackett and Underwood being cut at the second deadline, and Orr making the team.
The second round of cuts will be due before September 3rd at 4:00pm EST, two days after all teams play their final preseason game.