Before the 2019 NFL season, the then-Oakland Raiders brought in wide receiver Tyrell Williams via free agency. Williams was expected to come in and be the No. 2 wideout behind Antonio Brown, though after the AB relationship became a nightmare, he was forced to take over as the top wideout on the depth chart.
Early on, Williams did not disappoint, seemingly scoring a touchdown every time he hit the field before injuries derailed his season. He has a solid first season in the Silver and Black, but the organization invested two draft picks at the position group in the 2020 NFL Draft, and Williams missed the entire season with an injury.
Looking ahead to the 2021 campaign, the Raiders are in salary cap hell right now, and it appears Williams is going to help them get out of it.
Tom Pelissero, a reporter for the NFL Network tweeted this out on Thursday night.
The #Raiders plan to release WR Tyrell Williams at the start of the league year next month, per source. Williams missed the entire 2020 season because of a shoulder injury that required surgery, but should be fully healthy in 2-3 weeks. He’s still only 28.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 11, 2021
The move to get rid of Williams makes a lot of sense, as the expectation is that Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards will improve in Year 2. Also, Hunter Renfrow has become captain clutch for this franchise, and there is still the decision looming on whether or not to bring back Nelson Agholor.
Raiders must continue to make tough roster moves heading into 2021
Looking at the pending free agents, and guys who will not cost the Raiders any dead cap money, there are more than a few players who could join Williams on their way out. Las Vegas faltered down the stretch once again in 2021, getting out to a 6-3 start, only to win two more games the rest of the way.
While the roster is close to being playoff caliber, many tough decisions loom.
There are a bunch of salaries Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden must look at heading into next season, including offensive linemen Trent Brown and Gabe Jackson. All told, the roster is going to look a lot different next season in several spots, which is not a bad thing considering the team finished on the outside looking in at the playoffs once again last season.