The Las Vegas Raiders have to be set at a 53-man roster by August 31 at 4PM ET, and these three could be some of the hardest cuts to make.
After the Las Vegas Raiders play the 49ers on Sunday, the team will have some complicated situations to figure out. Having to make hard cuts is usually a good thing in the NFL, it means the team simply has more talent. It is likely that some of these players are NFL-caliber players and will be picked up somewhere else.
Unfortunately, for some of these players, NFL roster spots are not created equal. Teams are more likely to go with a draft pick or the younger, cheaper player if the competition is somewhat close. The payroll often plays a major factor as well, if a veteran isn’t performing up to standards, he is more likely to be cut.
The Raiders, like all teams, will have to figure out where the extra roster spots go. Do they value a tenth defensive lineman more than a sixth cornerback? Do they value a ninth offensive lineman over a fifth safety?
These are the decisions Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock will make over the next few days as the rosters go from 80 to 53. The question then becomes, who will the Raiders add to the practice squad? With Covid-19 ramping up again, the practice squad proved to be very valuable last season, as a place to keep veterans and young players alike ready to play.
With that said, let’s see who the hardest cuts the Raiders will have to make are.