The Las Vegas Raiders, with a 2-12 record during the 2025 NFL season, are just throwing stuff at the wall at this point and hoping something sticks. John Spytek continues to tinker with the bottom of the roster, and honestly, it is hard to fault him for constantly trying to find a promising piece in odd places.
Earlier this week, the Raiders released veteran defensive tackle Leki Fotu. Initially, fans were excited, as they felt that this meant more playing time for rookies J.J. Pegues and Tonka Hemingway. Head coach Pete Carroll assured reporters that the two were unrelated, and that was proven to be true.
On Wednesday, Las Vegas promoted defensive end Jahfari Harvey from the practice squad to the active roster, then they brought in McClendon Curtis to fill Harvey's spot on the practice squad. But they weren't done restructuring the end of the roster.
Raiders claim Brodric Martin just days before Texans clash
Just before their Week 16 matchup with the Houston Texans, the Raiders made another roster move on Friday afternoon. The team announced that they were waiving the recently promoted Harvey, and in his place, they were bringing in defensive tackle Brodric Martin.
Martin was on the Pittsburgh Steelers' practice squad when Las Vegas claimed him, so he'll immediately be on the active roster this weekend. At 26 years old, he is still young enough to have a future with the Silver and Black if he impresses coaches in his limited opportunities.
Of course, Martin, a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions, has only played in six career games and has a total of four tackles on his résumé. As a true nose tackle, he's had a hard time getting on the field in his young career.
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He made a brief stop in the AFC West with the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this season after being waived by the Lions at final roster cutdowns. Then, after being stashed on the practice squad, the Steelers signed him to their active roster before dropping him back down to the practice squad.
In Las Vegas, however, Martin will be on the active roster. On such short notice, it is unlikely that he'll play on Sunday at NRG Stadium in Houston. But he could have a chance to prove himself over the final two weeks of the season as the Raiders take on the New York Giants and Chiefs.
At 6-foot-5 and 330 pounds, the former North Alabama and Western Kentucky star was a third-round pick for a reason. If he can prove exactly why that was to the brass in Las Vegas, perhaps he'll land a future/reserve deal with the Raiders.