4 former Raiders who are still having trouble finding jobs

It's tough out there.
Los Angeles Chargers v Las Vegas Raiders
Los Angeles Chargers v Las Vegas Raiders / Cooper Neill/GettyImages
facebooktwitterreddit

Through the first three weeks of free agency, most of the attention in Las Vegas has focused on who is joining the team next year.

Big contracts for defensive lineman Christian Wilkins, quarterback Gardner Minshew, and tight end Harrison Bryant have been the headliners, but the Raiders are very clearly focused on turning a new leaf after bringing in former Chargers GM Tom Telesco and removing the interim label from Antonio Pierce's job title.

As the free agent frenzy starts to die down, and the dust settles on the first and second waves, there are still more than a couple of recognizable names that played for the Raiders last year on the market.

Think of this exercise as the most depressing version of Naming Dudes. Here are four former Raiders who are still having trouble finding their next job.

4 former Raiders who are still having trouble finding jobs

1. Hunter Renfrow, WR

Somehow, Renfrow's still only 28 and also without a job so far this offseason.

Only two years ago, he put up a 100+ catch, 1,000+ yard reason, scoring nine touchdowns and making the Pro Bowl. His last season – 25 catches for 255 yards – was especially bleak, and statistically the worst of his career.

He'll almost certainly find another team that needs a WR3 somewhere down the line, but considering how valuable he was to the Raiders not that long ago, seeing him sit around in free agency is bizarre.

2. Brian Hoyer, QB

This isn't that surprising, considering how Josh McDaniels, uh, left the organization this year. Hoyer and McDaniels go way back, and with Minshew and Aiden O'Connell set to have the most uninteresting quarterback battle in years this summer, Hoyer's services were no longer needed.

He's a mid-level backup QB, so some team will always give him a call in mid-October, but it feels like Hoyer's time in the NFL – now at 15 seasons and counting – may be coming to an end soon.

3. Greg Van Roten, G

Van Roten started all 17 games at guard for the Raiders last season, and was ... pretty good? According to Pro Football Focus, Van Roten had the best overall offensive grade (75.3) and pass-blocking grade (77.5) of his entire career.

Yet, somehow, he also allowed the most sacks (5) of his career. So who knows?

Maybe there's a world where he's just taking his time to weigh all his options before ultimately coming back to Las Vegas, but it's definitely weird to see one of the better players from last year's offensive line – someone who played in every game this season – sitting there without a team.

4. Jesper Horsted, TE

The least surprising name on this list. Horsted, who came to Vegas after two years spent as a special teams guy in Chicago, only had four catches for 23 yards with the Raiders. He's never been much more than a special teams player – only once in his four-year career has he played more than 6% of his team's offensive snaps.

With a new GM in place, it feels like a sure bet that if Horsted plays in the NFL next season, it'll be elsewhere.

feed