The Las Vegas Raiders were one of only two teams that waited almost four hours after the NFL deadline to trim their rosters to release them to the public. When it was released, a few surprises awaited fans waiting to see what their team might look like in Week 1 of the NFL season.
Perhaps one of the biggest surprises wasn’t even a cut—instead, a rare interdivisional trade.
There’s never love lost between the bitter AFC West rival Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders, but on the day NFL rosters had to be trimmed to 53, the teams made a rare trade.
Las Vegas sent second-year defensive tackle Neal Farrell, Jr. to the Chiefs for a 2024 sixth-round selection. Farrell, who rookie Nesta Jade Silvera seemingly beat out for the defensive line roster spot, played well this preseason and Kansas City noticed. The Chiefs are still without All-Pro defensive lineman Chris Jones, who is holding out over a contract dispute.
The move appears to signal they’re preparing for the regular season under the assumption Jones will not end his holdout.
Related: 10 biggest NFL roster cuts ahead of the deadline
Minor surprises at a few spots for the Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders’ cuts to reach the roster limit didn’t include big surprises, but there were a few minor eyebrow-raisers. Veteran wide receivers Phillip Dorsett and Keelan Cole were waived. Second-year free agent acquisition Kristian Wilkerson, who often connected with rookie backup quarterback Aidan O’Connell, made the final cut for now.
Perhaps the most surprising cuts came at cornerback as veterans Sam Webb, Tyler Hall, and Duke Shelley were all released by the Raiders. Hall was seemingly a lock over incumbent Amik Robertson, who struggled in the preseason. But Robertson survives and Hall may be a veteran keeper on the Las Vegas Raiders’ practice squad.
Other notable cuts included running back Damien Williams and Sincere McCormick, as well as veteran offensive lineman Alex Bars. Offensive tackle Dalton Wagner was placed on the reserve/injured list.
Related: Las Vegas Raiders standing in Sportsnaut’s NFL power rankings
Initial Las Vegas Raiders 53-man roster
Quarterback: Jimmy Graoppolo, Aidan O’Connell, Brian Hoyer
Running Back: Josh Jacobs, Jakob Johnson, Zamir White, Amir Abdullah, Brandon Bolden
Wide Receiver: Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow, Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, DeAndre Carter, Kristian Wilkerson
Tight End: Michael Mayer, Austin Hooper, Jesper Horsted
Offensive Line: Kolton Miller, Dylan Parham, Andre James, Greg Van Roten, Jermaine Eluemunor, Thayer Munford, Justin Herron
Defensive Line: Maxx Crosby, Bilal Nichols, Jerry Tillery, Chandler Jones, Tyree Wilson, Byron Young, Malcolm Koonce, John Jenkins, Nesta Jade Silvera
Linebackers: Divine Deablo, Robert Spillane, Luke Masterson, Curtis Bolton
Cornerback: Marcus Peters, Jakorian Bennett, Nate Hobbs, Amik Robertson, David Long, Jr.
Safety: Marcus Epps, Tre’von Moehrig, Chris Smith II, Isaiah Palo-Mao, Roderic Teamer
Kicker: Daniel Carlson
Punter: AJ Cole
Long Snapper: Jacob Bobenmoyer