Oakland Raiders: Midseason grades for the 2018 rookie class
By Brad Weiss
Jason Cabinda
An undrafted free agent from Penn State, Jason Cabinda made his first appearance in the NFL two weeks ago, and played very well against the Indianapolis Colts, posting a Pro Football Focus rating of 73.0. Like the rest of the defense, he struggled this past week against San Francisco, but will get a chance to improve his stock with the organization moving forward.
Grade: Inc
Daniel Carlson
Daniel Carlson was a fairly high draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings, but was quickly released after missing key field goals early in the season. For the Raiders, he has been their third kicker of the season already, and while he does have the leg to be an NFL kicker, he struggles with accuracy, and likely will not figure into the long-term plans.
Grade: C
Trent Sieg
Trent Sieg replaced Andrew DePaola is Week 2, as DePaola blew out his knee in the team’s Week 1 loss against the Los Angeles Rams. Sieg will likely be gone after this season, as DePaola was signed to a four-year deal, becoming the highest-paid long snapper in the league prior to the season.
Grade: C
Marcell Ateman
The Raiders seventh-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Marcell Ateman was finally promoted to the active roster at the end of October. While he has yet to play in a game this season, he did show during the preseason that he can be a real weapon, especially in the red zone, and should get a look as the season rolls on.