Las Vegas Raiders release initial 2021 53-man roster ahead of Week 1
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders released their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday, and will now turn to finalize the group that will play Baltimore in Week 1.
It has been a long summer, as the Las Vegas Raiders made it through the preseason, and will embark on what should hopefully be a playoff season for the Silver and Black. This offseason, the organization did a nice job bringing in talent to fill some of the many voids on the roster, including positions like edge rusher, offensive line, and in the secondary.
What has come out of it all has been a bolstered roster that should be an improvement over the 8-8 team that faltered down the stretch last season. Las Vegas did not play many stars this summer, including Derek Carr, Josh Jacobs, and Darren Waller in the preseason, but those guys should be ready to roll come Week 1.
On Tuesday, Las Vegas, and the rest of the NFL had to get their rosters down to the required 53, and while there were some surprises, it was mostly what we would have expected.
Raiders initial 53-man roster released ahead of Week 1
So here it is, the Raiders’ initial 53-man roster, one that will give a good glimpse into what this team is going to look like this season. Sure, things can change from now until the Ravens game, as there could be some waiver wire additions, but for the most part, this is the group that will go into battle under lights on Monday Night Football in Week 1.
The Raiders have been to the playoffs only once since the 2002 NFL season, but the new additions to the roster look solid, and some second-and-third year players appear poised to step up in 2021. There is a lot to like about this team, especially the new coaching staff on the defensive side of the ball, specifically Gus Bradley and Ron Milus.
Of course, changes could be coming, but when you look at this roster compared to what the Raiders looked like at this time last year, you have to be happy with the additions. Las Vegas has a tough road ahead of them, including the Week 1 matchup against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, but you have to believe that this group is more prepared than they were a year ago.