Raiders fans are thrilled with preseason star's surprise inclusion on 53-man roster

After a whirlwind 36 hours of roster news, the Raiders officially have their first 53-man roster.

For the most part, things went predictably this preseason: Gardner Minshew won the starting job, Davante Adams didn't play (or get traded!), and Tyree Wilson is still (apparently) considered a future cornerstone of the defense. Depending on how intensely you were tapped into the defensive line depth competition, there were a few minor surprises from the roster, but for the most part, predictions were close.

There was one pleasant surprise, though: former CFL running back turned NFL wide receiver Tyreik McAllister, considered a long shot to make the team back when camp began, found his way onto the roster.

He quickly carved out a role for himself on special teams throughout the last month, and his 81-yard punt return touchdown in the team's final game last week sealed the deal; after the game, Antonio Pierce talked about how McAllister "moved the needle" with his overall performance against the 49ers. It was just enough to make the team, and Raiders fans are *thrilled.*

Everyone loves a feel good preseason story, and the Raiders have one in McAllister

It's hard not to be thrilled with "former CFL star tries the jump to the NFL and ends up making the team," and it's not like there are a ton of other options on the roster to be all that excited about. McAllister probably won't feature much as a wide receiver, but as he showed multiple times throughout the preseason, he'll be hugely useful as a special teams/gadget-type player.

And while McAllister may very well end up as the yearly preseason guy we were all excited about before never hearing from him, that's a problem for October. The Raiders will take every single good news story they can get before the Minshew/O'Connell debate tires everyone out almost immediately. But at least the punt returns will be fun.