Raiders: 3 players who could be the hardest cuts
Keelan Doss
I wrote a piece detailing Doss’ chances of making the roster before training camp and all Doss did was perform well in practice and preseason games. However, Doss, like Vickers, is facing depth and an uphill battle. The Raiders are deep at the receiver position with draft picks and free-agent additions and it became evident there wasn’t much chance for a young player to make the team.
Coach Gruden has been impressed with Doss in the past and it’s a bit surprising that a roster spot was handed to Willie Snead after not showing much the past few seasons in Baltimore. Doss seems like a higher upside player for the Raiders but Snead is the main backup in the slot, which the Raiders coveted.
Doss has improved every season with the team but it seems unlikely he returns to the practice squad. Doss is an NFL-caliber receiver and will likely be picked up elsewhere. He seems to have beat out Marcel Ateman after he was cut, but he seems stuck in the 7th receiver spot.
If Doss has another good preseason game, it could make the Raiders rethink. Snead is a veteran and doesn’t need preseason reps and the team likely knows what it has in him. Doss’ potential has been clear for a while but his limited chances have hurt his career.
This preseason he has gotten the majority of the reps and has shown out well. Either way, Doss will likely be on an NFL roster this season, the question is whether the Raiders will choose him over Snead.