The Las Vegas Raiders announced their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday, but there is a lot more work to do prior to their Week 1 matchup against Los Angeles.
On Tuesday, the hammer finally fell in terms of the preseason, as the Las Vegas Raiders, along with the rest of the NFL, cut their rosters down to 53 men. For Las Vegas, we knew there would be some shocking events, and as the day went on, we were not disappointed.
2021 first-round draft pick Alex Leatherwood was released, this after the team could not find a trade partner with all 32 NFL teams, and a former second-round pick, Trayvon Mullen was traded. Mullen was once considered the CB1 of the Raiders, but after struggling to stay healthy, as well as some inconsistent play, his time in the desert is done.
So there you go, some shocking news on a day where some players realized their NFL dreams, and others will be left looking for another organization. While the 53-man roster was set by the 4pm ET deadline, that does not mean changes are not coming, especially with some talented players hitting free agency.
General manager David Ziegler has proven that he is not going to deal with the status quo in terms of this roster, and he is likely to continue to wheel and deal well into the end of this week.
Raiders should challenge for the division in 2022
The truth is, the Raiders have the roster to make another run to the playoffs, making back-to-back appearances for the first time in 20 years. The AFC West is loaded, that is for sure, but the Raiders have bridged the gap between them and the best teams in the division.
After finishing second in 2021, they have their sights set on actually beating the Chiefs out for the divisional crown, something no team has done in six seasons.
Raiders: Final 53-man roster projection after the 2022 preseason
The Raiders preseason is officially wrapped up, and it's time to answer the big question: what does the 53-man roster look like? Here's my prediction.
The Las Vegas Raiders have the talent on offense to be one of the best in the league, and the defense should take another step forward under the new defensive coordinator, Patrick Graham. They will kick off their 2022 slate on September 11 against division rival Los Angeles, the team they eliminated from playoff contention the last time they participated in a regular season game.
Hopefully, they can get the party started in a good way next Sunday.