Las Vegas Raiders: Takeaways from the 2022 preseason and looking ahead
Las Vegas Raiders: Takeaways from the 2022 preseason and looking ahead
Players who were safe until the final weekend
One part of this roster breakdown was going over under-the-radar players who completely shattered expectations and likely earned a roster spot as a result. Now it’s time to cover the reverse – players who were considered safe early on, but were eventually cut.
Keelan Cole
The Las Vegas Raiders added veteran Keelan Cole to the mix at wide receiver this offseason, and for a while, it looked like he would be a lock to make the roster. However, the competition was fierce at this position group all summer long, and in the end, Cole was the odd man out.
The Raiders decided to keep Mack Hollins, which was a no-brainer, and also felt that young players like DJ Turner and Tryon Johnson earned their spots. Cole is a guy who has had success at the NFL level, and was thought of as a veteran who could help lead this group, but he was sent packing at final cuts.
Cole didn’t too much to hurt his own chances, but rather others have gone above and beyond. Hollins has been everything the Raiders could’ve dreamed of and more through camp, and the duo of Tyron Johnson and D.J. Turner is too much to ignore.
Alex Leatherwood
I mean, how can you not have Alex Leatherwood on here? The second-year Raider has been the subject of cut rumors since before the Patriots game kicked off, and the axe finally fell on him during the cut downs.
Being he only has one full season + one additional preseason under his belt aside, the thought of cutting Leatherwood seemed a bit ridiculous, even if an ESPN insider brought up the possibility. In cutting their 2021 first-round pick, the Raiders would suffer a dead cap hit of $8 million, so while he struggled, it did not seem like a real possibility.
However, this is a new regime in Las Vegas, and Leatherwood was not a draft pick of new general manager David Ziegler. After not being able to find a trade partner, Leatherwood was cut, and quickly found a home in Chicago.
We now turn our attention to the regular season, where a divisional battle awaits the Raiders in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Raiders made the playoffs as a Wild Card last season, losing to the Cincinnati Bengals, but the expectations are higher in Year 1 of the Josh McDaniels era.