Last Friday, we revealed our first 53-man Oakland Raiders roster projection as they prepare to start training camp.
I struggled to get down to the 53-man roster; my initial list had 55 players.
I had to cut two rookies; fifth-round pick, linebacker Neiron Ball and undrafted free-agent running back Michael Dyer. I had to make those cuts because I had too many players at their positions. I need to carry enough players on the defensive line and in the secondary.
Dyer's problem could be Taiwan Jones. Jones has bounced from running back to cornerback back to running back. The truth is, he is a special teamer. Jones is a very good special teamer, but he is essentially a man without a position, so that can hurt a player like Dyer's chances.
Ball is an athletic player who can help on special teams, but I'm just not sure the Raiders are going to be able to carry that many linebackers. Maybe one way is to carry eight defensive linemen, but that could be risky.
It should be noted that I currently have the Raiders carrying seven receivers. Teams usually carry five or six receivers. But receiver is Oakland's deepest position. If undrafted rookie Josh Harper, a teammate of Oakland quarterback Derek Carr at Fresno State, has a good camp, he will be difficult to cut. One way of justifying carrying seven receivers could be using Harper as a returner.
This is a work in progress and will unfold over the next six weeks. There will be injuries and roster additions to consider as well. But the fact that heading into camp the Raiders appear to have tough decision to make is a good thing.
