Tuesday marked roster cutdown day around the NFL as teams were required to trim their rosters to 53 players. The Las Vegas Raiders had some tough decisions to make as several players stood out during training camp and the preseason.
Shedrick Jackson was one of the names on the roster bubble as the undrafted third-year wide receiver was competing for a spot in a crowded positional room. His path to the roster became much more complicated when the Raiders signed veteran wideout Amari Cooper to a one-year deal.
While Jackson was a preseason star for Las Vegas, he will not be on the Week 1 roster. Instead, the Raiders opted to keep just five wide receivers. The room consists of Cooper, Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, and rookies Dont'e Thornton Jr. and Jack Bech.
Raiders waive great-nephew of franchise legend Bo Jackson
Jackson holds a distinct connection to the Raiders as he is the great-nephew of legendary running back Bo Jackson, who spent his entire career in the Silver and Black, where he shared the backfield with Marcus Allen.
His relation to a franchise icon made him an easy player for the fanbase to root for. The young wide receiver began to prove through his stellar preseason play, however, that his ties to the organization weren't the only reason to cheer him on.
Despite proving that he is more than just a legacy player, Jackson was not able to crack Las Vegas' initial 53-man roster.
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Jackson was one of the biggest bright spots during the preseason as he recorded 133 receiving yards and one touchdown on eight receptions. While he entered training camp considered as a long shot to make the roster, his play certainly did not make things easy for the coaching staff.
Prior to the Raiders' signing of Cooper on Monday, it appeared that Jackson could crack the Week 1 roster. After the move, his only path to doing so was if the team opted to carry six wide receivers, which they chose not to do.
The Raiders will certainly hope to stash the talented young wideout on their practice squad along with Miller and sixth-round rookie wideout Tommy Mellott, who were both waived as well. However, given his strong preseason showing, it would not be a surprise to see him picked up by another team.