Las Vegas Raiders: What does the waiving of Tanner Muse mean?
The Las Vegas Raiders decided to waive former third-round pick, Tanner Muse, on Monday, but what does that mean for the organization?
In a bit of a shocking move, the Las Vegas Raiders decided to waive 2020 third-round pick, Tanner Muse, on Monday, this after he appeared to be in line for a big role in 2021. Muse battled through injuries during his rookie season but had looked good this summer, making his release a surprising one.
With Muse gone, that is two third-round picks from 2020 not with the organization already, so what does this actually mean for Muse, the organization, and Mike Mayock.
Las Vegas Raiders: What does the waiving of Tanner Muse mean?
Tanner Muse get cut
Jon Gruden and the Las Vegas Raiders surprised everyone on Labor Day when they decided to cut linebacker Tanner Muse. Muse, who was a third-round pick by Las Vegas in 2020, was said to be viewed as one of the team’s outside linebackers.
His special team’s talents have also been praised, with Muse going so far as to call himself a “special teams war daddy.”
So, with all of that planning and praise, why would Las Vegas choose to cut the young linebacker? Well, the most obvious answer could be that the team added both Denzel Perryman and KJ Wright to the linebacker room. Perhaps Las Vegas felt more confident in these two wile veterans, as both have played a significant number of snaps under the leadership of Gus Bradley.
The team also may have been worried about the potential of reinjury. In 2020, Muse missed the entirety of the season with a toe injury that required surgery. With the linebacker core already thin, Las Vegas might’ve felt that Perryman and Wright are better options when it comes to health and availability.
Or, maybe Las Vegas was never high on Muse in the first place and that his preseason production didn’t meet their expectations. After all, he didn’t have a great game against the San Francisco 49ers’ second and third teamers. Maybe the idea of starting Muse in week one was a way for Gruden to spark some competition in the locker room, forcing players like Nick Kwiatkowski to play better if they want a roster spot.