The Las Vegas Raiders dramatically upgraded their roster this offseason under the guidance of general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll. After Tuesday's roster cutdowns, however, it became clear that the team's depth left something to be desired.
This was especially true on the offensive line, as the team's backups consisted of Will Putnam, Alex Cappa, Caleb Rogers, Charles Grant and Thayer Munford Jr. While Cappa and Munford both have NFL experience, the other three have never played in a regular season game.
Cappa missed most of the preseason with a rib injury, and Munford looked like he took a major step back in the team's three exhibition games. He clearly wasn't a fit for the new offense in Las Vegas, and he was barely clinging to his spot on Tuesday's initial 53-man roster.
Raiders waive Thayer Munford Jr. following roster cutdowns
Things changed very quickly, however, as by Wednesday afternoon, ESPN's Ryan McFadden reported that the Raiders had waived Munford. Given his 46 NFL appearances and 18 starts, he is not likely to last long on the waiver wire, so his tenure in Las Vegas could very well be over.
Munford was a seventh-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Raiders, selected in the first year of the Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels era. He had survived through two regime changes, but that run came to an end on Wednesday.
While he certainly had some good moments in the Silver and Black, this may not be the worst thing for a franchise that is trying to rebuild itself. In fact, they may already have their eyes on someone, according to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
"No Thayer Munford at @Raiders practice," Bonsignore noted, before Munford's waiving was official. "New tackle incoming, is the word. We'll keep you posted."
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Raider Nation is surely excited to get a new offensive tackle in the fold, as the depth behind Kolton Miller and DJ Glaze looked bleak with just Grant and Munford. Bonsignore also noted that it will be a new signing, not one through the waiver wire, via trade or a promotion from the practice squad.
Given how many transactions there have been over the last few days and the endless connections that the new leadership in Las Vegas has, it is impossible to sort through exactly who may be the Raiders' next backup tackle.
Regardless, Munford did not play well enough to earn a spot on the 53-man roster, and it is a good thing that the new brass is looking for an upgrade. This is just another reminder of how on top of things this new regime is, as they'll stop at nothing to improve this Raiders team.