ALAMEDA, Calif. -- The Oakland Raiders waived 14 players on Monday and placed tight end Gabe Holmes on injured reserve, trimming their roster to the NFL-mandated 75 players. Here's a closer look at the first cuts:
Most significant move: Defensive tackle Leon Orr. He spent most of last season on Oakland's practice squad before getting called up in time to play in three late-season games, in which he had five tackles and a pass defensed. Many saw Orr as having a good shot at making the 53-man roster. To be in the first wave of cuts? Yeah, that's significant and possibly opens up a spot for undrafted Darius Latham.
He didn't stick it: The Colton Underwood-Andrew East connection was severed. Kinda. Because remember, it was East, who is married to former Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson, who connected Underwood to current Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman, who accepted Underwood's date request via video. Both were cut. Perhaps Underwood and East stick on the Raiders' practice squad? That way they could still make the double date happen as members of the Silver and Black.
Keeping up with Holmes: Injuries are never a good thing, but with Holmes suffering a "significant" ankle injury in Oakland's preseason opener at Arizona, it enabled the Raiders to stash him on injured reserve. With the new IR rule, though, there is no guarantee he is done for the season, and it probably opens up a spot for tight end Mychal Rivera, who was purportedly on the trading block early this offseason.
Raiders moves: C Ross Burbank, LS Andrew East, S Chris Edwards, S Chris Hackett, S Jimmy Hall, WR Joe Hansley, DB Tramain Jacobs, LB Lenny Jones, WR Max McCaffrey, DT Leon Orr, WR Nathan Palmer, PK Giorgio Tavecchio, TE Colton Underwood, OL Terran Vaughn. TE Gabe Holmes (injured reserve).
