Raiders Set Roster to 80 Ahead of Deadline

On Aug. 23, all 32 NFL teams needed to trim down their rosters to 80 players prior to the last preseason weekend. The Raiders started early with the roster deadline as they traded QB Nick Mullens to the Minnesota Vikings for a conditional 2024 seventh-round pick on Aug. 22. After a strong preseason showing, this indicates QB Jarrett Stidham has won the backup QB job for the Raiders.

Newly acquired EDGE Jordan Jenkins was placed on the Reserve/Injured list after he obtained an injury during the Raiders’ latest preseason game against the Dolphins.

The Raiders have a deep RB room and attempted to trade RB Kenyan Drake, but they were unsuccessful, resulting in the 28-year-old veteran being cut. This wasn’t surprising, as Coach Josh McDaniels brought in three running backs this offseason and Drake was a carry-over from the Gruden regime.

CB Chris Jones was cut, WR Chris Lacy was waived, and CB Cre’Von LeBlanc was waived with an injury settlement. The cornerback and wide receiver positions have depth, and accompanied with good performances from their peers, Jones, Lacy and LeBlanc were the odd men out.

The Raiders won’t have to worry about any more roster cuts until the next deadline on Aug. 30, when they have to officially release their 53-man roster for Week 1 of the NFL season.