Las Vegas Raiders: 3 players put on notice after the 2021 NFL Draft
Johnathan Abram
The Las Vegas Raiders at the safety position in 2020 were abysmal. Between missed tackles, poor communication, and downright abysmal play, opponents took advantage of the team’s last line of defense (or lack thereof). Two of the players who saw significant playing time at the position are no longer with the team.
As of Monday, Jeff Heath and the Raiders parted ways.
The #Raiders are releasing safety Jeff Heath on Wednesday, per source. He was the AFC Defensive Player of the Week in Week 10 last season. Now, set to be a free agent.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 4, 2021
Heath had a few key plays, such as this one against Kansas City, but it was clear that he was not a long-term solution. Earlier this offseason, Erik Harris became an unrestricted free agent and joined the Atlanta Falcons.
However, Las Vegas quickly reloaded and re-signed their former first-round pick Karl Joseph who played well for the Cleveland Browns last season. In addition to Joseph, the Silver and Black selected three safeties. While Jonathan Abram and Dallin Leavitt are the carryovers from last season, it would be safe to assume that Gus Bradley wants to overhaul the position.
Last season, Abram’s overall lack of discipline burdened the already under-manned defense. Should his poor play continue, there are plenty of options to replace him with.