John Spytek has told Las Vegas Raiders fans before that he is always looking to improve the roster or tinker with the bottom of it in some way. He has delivered on that promise, as throughout his year and some change in Sin City, the Raiders have been a revolving door of players.
While that may not necessarily be a good thing, as Las Vegas sorely lacked talent last year and constantly needed changes and upgrades, at least Spytek is willing to do the work. Even after a big free agency and 2026 NFL Draft, he's been making minor adjustments ahead of OTAs.
Spytek struck again on Monday, as the Raiders announced the signing of linebacker Cameron McGrone, who should add depth in the middle of the defense and help on special teams. Las Vegas also released franchise legacy wideout Brenden Rice, son of Jerry Rice, in a corresponding move.
Las Vegas Raiders sign Cameron McGrone, release Brenden Rice
McGrone was a fifth-round pick by the New England Patriots back in 2021 out of the University of Michigan, and he spent a little over one year there before being signed by the Indianapolis Colts from the Patriots' practice squad. McGrone lasted roughly three years in Indianapolis before his release.
After a month or so out of football, McGrone signed with the Cleveland Browns' practice squad and, unfortunately, suffered an Achilles tear in his first action. He was released on December 12 of last season and is now finally getting another opportunity in Las Vegas.
In his five years in the NFL, McGrone has only played 51 defensive snaps. But he has played 390 special teams snaps, contributing on kick and punt return, as well as kick and punt coverage. He has totaled 13 tackles in 27 game appearances, eight of which have been solo.
Rice, on the other hand, was selected in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft but missed most of his first season with the Los Angeles Chargers due to injury. After a brief stint with the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, he signed with the Raiders in December.
Although he signed a future contract for the 2026 season, just as Klint Kubiak and Seattle waived Rice last season, they did so again on Monday. He has yet to catch a ball in an NFL game, playing just three offensive snaps and 10 on special teams.
This move makes sense in a lot of ways, as the path to playing time for Rice in Las Vegas wasn't very clear with a crowded wide receiver room. The Raiders also need depth at linebacker and have put a premium on strong special teams play this offseason, which McGrone can contribute to.
Neither of these seems like a major move right now, but the additions of Darren Waller, Daniel Carlson and Jonah Laulu didn't at the time, either. Although they seem minor, let's hold out hope that Las Vegas found a gem in McGrone and won't live to regret the release of Rice.
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