Five things that stood out with the Oakland Raiders initial 53-man roster

OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 18: Former head coach of the Oakland Raiders and now ESPN Monday Night Football Analyst Jon Gruden looks on during pre-game warm ups before an NFL football game between the New Orleans Saints and Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum on November 18, 2012 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 18: Former head coach of the Oakland Raiders and now ESPN Monday Night Football Analyst Jon Gruden looks on during pre-game warm ups before an NFL football game between the New Orleans Saints and Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum on November 18, 2012 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
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LOS ANGELES, CA – AUGUST 18: Head coach Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders coaches from the sideline during the first half of a preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on August 18, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – AUGUST 18: Head coach Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders coaches from the sideline during the first half of a preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on August 18, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

The Oakland Raiders had a very eventful Saturday, trading away Khalil Mack, and setting their initial 53-man roster ahead of Week 1 of the NFL season.

On Saturday, the Oakland Raiders got their team down to the require 53-man roster, but it was quite the roller coaster ride to get there. In the process, they cut some big name players, traded away their franchise defensive end, and really left the fan base scratching their heads.

When Jon Gruden was brought back to lead this team for the next ten seasons, the feeling around Raider Nation was one of hope. The last time Gruden was the head coach of the Raiders, he made them the premier team in the AFC West, and many believed he would do the same thing this time around.

However, there are more questions than answers after Saturday, as the roster looks very different than the one we projected yesterday. After all the cuts and trades, the 2018 Raiders will be a mystery until the regular season kicks off for the team next Monday night.

Here are five things that we observed from the initial 53-man roster.

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