The first rule about Posting is that it's never too early. It's never too early for 53-man predictions, or roster bubble discussions, or, unfortunately, mock drafts. It's simply never too early for anything. NFL cut day is almost a month away, and it's still not too early to talk about who is and is not getting cut. June and July were the months to go outside and think about other things – August is for avoiding the outdoors at all costs. And what better way to defeat the sun than to discuss Raiders roster decisions? More specifically, discussing who has already locked up their spot on the final 53. I know what you're thinking, and don't sweat it: Gardner Minshew is safe.
3 Raiders who have already locked up roster spots
1. Dylan Laube, RB
Laube's been one of the more fun storylines of summer workouts and training camp so far, as the sixth round pick has surprised coaches with his ability to (seemingly) make the move from FCS football to NFL football comfortably. Originally predicted to be a depth/special teams guy, Laube was getting running back reps ahead of healthy veterans this week, and several of the local beat reporters are talking about how much the team uses him in passing downs.
It's only been a week of "real" football, and Laube already feels like a roster lock – even if he wasn't playing well, it's not like the Raiders' running back depth chart is a strength of theirs. There's already been speculation that Laube could even take the RB2 spot away from Ameer Abdullah, but I'll hold off on going there until, you know, Laube has to play against guys that are actually allowed to tackle him.
2. Harrison Bryant, TE
You'd think this would be obvious, and yet, here we are. And to be clear, any reason Bryant wouldn't make the roster would involve him getting traded, not cut. Bryant's not an offensive threat in the way that tight ends tend to be now, but he still provides plenty of value at a TE3 and a red zone body. The idea that the Raiders weren't going to be able to figure out how to use three tight ends – all of which have notably different games – always felt a little silly. Someone's gotta block for Dylan Laube! Even if Bryant's one-year deal truly ends up being just that, whatever; that's life when you're a third-string blocking tight end. I'd be shocked to see him traded. (Maybe shocked is strong, but I'd definitely feel dumb.)
3. Adam Butler
The Raiders' defensive line is going to be *good* this year. Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins are obviously the headliners, but the depth behind them is impressive in its own right. At this point in his career, Butler sort of is who he is – in each of his previous six seasons, he's finished with an overall defensive grade (PFF) somewhere between 55 and 60. He finished last season as PFF's 60th best defensive lineman, out of 130 – he won't be a Pro Bowl player, but NFL teams will take that sort of production out of their rotational backups every day of the week and especially on Sunday. In a world where Tyree Wilson actually looks like the 7th overall pick, Butler or John Jenkins may have been sweating their job security more than they probably are now. Luckily the Raiders don't have to worry about that!!!! [deep sigh]