The Las Vegas Raiders turned in their league-mandated initial 53-man roster on Tuesday afternoon. Some would say that this marks the true beginning of the NFL season, as franchises have finally whittled down exactly who will take the field during the regular season.
Raider Nation knows, however, that this is far from the case. New head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek have proven this offseason that they will tinker with the roster like no other, and several more moves are expected in the coming days.
But, for now, 53 players have made the cut in Las Vegas, and there were very few surprising omissions. There was one inclusion, however, that was completely unexpected even by those closest to the team.
Raiders stunningly keep UDFA lineman Will Putnam on 53-man roster
In a shocking move, the Raiders kept interior offensive lineman Will Putnam on the initial 53-man roster. Putnam first came to Las Vegas as an undrafted free agent from Clemson ahead of the 2024 NFL season under Antonio Pierce and Tom Telsco.
He did not make the roster last season, but was kept around on the practice squad. The 6-foot-4, 301-pound center must have quietly made a good impression on the new regime, as there was no buzz about him from reporters all offseason, nor were any comments made in a public presser.
Given the hype surrounding the improbable ascent of guard Laki Tasi, the battle between Jackson Powers-Johnson and Alex Cappa, and the hopes surrounding rookies Caleb Rogers and Charles Grant, Putnam must have gotten lost in the shuffle when discussing depth on the offensive line.
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This preseason, however, Putnam played solidly enough with the second-string offense to warrant the team keeping him around. In three games, he recorded an overall Pro Football Focus grade of 63.6, which included a run-blocking grade of 68.9.
With the team expected to keep either Tasi or Thayer Munford Jr., who was on the fence of the roster, Putnam was a surprise addition when Tasi was waived and Munford was kept. Keeping Putnam means the team has 10 offensive linemen, which they could afford to do after keeping just two quarterbacks.
Putnam played both center and guard for Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers in college, so it would stand to reason that Carroll and Spytek value his versatility. However, Raider Nation could have never imagined he would make the 53-man roster, especially over Tasi.
However, Carroll was also adamant that every player on the roster would be competing and that the best players would make the team and play. It seems like Putnam was quietly effective this preseason, and he flew under the radar all the way onto the 53-man roster.