The Las Vegas Raiders are always a team full of surprises, and that is no different when it comes to their 53 man roster heading into Week 1.
The Las Vegas Raiders brought in several players in free agency that got Raider Nation excited, but some of those players were shoved out just as quickly as they were brought in. The Raiders had to cut a lot of players on Tuesday, cutting the roster from 80 to 53, and although there were rumors of some of these players not making the team, it still comes as a bit of a surprise.
Let’s take a look at the three biggest surprise cuts for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Las Vegas Raiders: 3 biggest cuts during the 2021 53-man roster release
Isaiah Johnson
This decision maybe should not have been a big surprise, but it appears that Raider Nation was not particularly happy with this decision. Although the Raiders have a solid group of cornerbacks, they do not have many that are proven yet.
Trayvon Mullen and Casey Hayward are the only two proven corners on the team, and although there is a lot of potential within the young group of Damon Arnette, Nate Hobbs, and Amik Robertson, the Raiders still lack both size and consistency at the position.
Johnson is most known for stepping up big last year against the Chargers, breaking up back-to-back passes in the end zone to win the game. There was a reason that Johnson was put into the game during that situation, and it was because he was the only corner with the size that the team needed in that situation.
Although I am not happy with the decision to release Johnson, the fact that Gus Bradley has the confidence in the other young players could be a good sign.