The Las Vegas Raiders have made no shortage of errors when it comes to building their roster in recent years. Whether it was a failed draft pick, a free agent signing that did not work out, or a former player starring elsewhere, there's been a lot of bad for the Silver and Black.
Fortunately, a handful of late-round gems and players from unexpected places have come along and prevented the team from complete misery, like defensive end Maxx Crosby, tight end Darren Waller and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow.
While only Crosby remains with the franchise, the other two have largely crashed and burned since leaving Las Vegas. Waller, however, got back in the saddle after being traded to the Miami Dolphins this offseason, and Renfrow landed a gig with his hometown team Carolina Panthers.
Panthers release Hunter Renfrow as part of roster cutdowns
Unfortunately, on Tuesday, the Panthers announced their initial 53-man roster, and Renfrow was left off. This means he has been released by Carolina, ending what many thought was a successful comeback campaign for the former Raider.
Renfrow sat out the entire 2024 NFL season as he dealt with health issues, but he was seemingly back on track to make the team in Carolina. This turned out not to be the case, however, and the former Las Vegas Pro Bowler is once again looking for a new home in the NFL.
According to the Panthers' official website, the decision to leave Renfrow off the 53-man team did not come easy to the front office or coaching staff. However, with Adam Thielen seemingly staying put in Carolina, Renfrow was deemed expendable and is now on the outside looking in.
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"Third and Renfrow" will always be iconic in the lore of Raider Nation, as he and Waller defined the franchise's early days in Las Vegas and the second tenure of head coach Jon Gruden. Some fans may even want a reunion with Renfrow now under head coach Pete Carroll.
However, Renfrow has not been able to recapture the magic he had during the 2021 NFL season, when he was named to the Pro Bowl and essentially willed the Raiders offense to the playoffs in what was a broken season.
Renfrow has enough experience and name recognition, and he put together a strong preseason for the Panthers, so hopefully, he lands on his feet somewhere in the league. But Tuesday represented yet another devastating blow to the team's fifth-round gem from the 2019 NFL Draft.