Raiders G Jackson Might Be Expendable
by Tom LaMarre
After picking seven players in the 2020 NFL Draft and signing eight undrafted free agents, the Las Vegas Raiders have 94 players on their roster, four over the limit for this time of year.
That means the Raiders must release or trade four players in the coming days.
According to reports, among the candidates are starting right guard Gabe Jackson, tight end Derek Carrier, wide receiver Zay Jones and cornerback Nick Nelson.
There have been rumors much of the offseason that the Raiders would trade the 6-3, 335-pound Jackson, who has played well but battled injuries in his six seasons since the Silver and Black drafted him in the third round (No. 81 overall) in 2014.
Even though General Manager Mike Mayock give Jackson a vote of confidence a few days ago, it would certainly help the Raiders to shed his contract, the sixth-highest at his position in the league.
The Raiders drafted 6-4, 321-pound guard John Simpson in the fourth round and ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said Simpson should be ready to compete for a starting job early in his career.
In addition, the Raiders resigned guards Denzelle Good, who played when Jackson was injured, and Jordan Devey, in addition to signing free agent Eric Kush, so the handwriting might be on the wall.
The 6-3, 240-pound Carrier, who was the Raiders’ third eight end last season, has played for five teams in the NFL since 2012 and his second stint with the Raiders might be over after he caught only 20 passes for 175 yards and two touchdown the last two seasons.
The Raiders, who signed tight end Jason Whitten, Nick O’Leary and Paul Butler during free agency, and signed undrafted free agent Nick Bowers of Penn State over the weekend.
That means there are seven tight ends on the roster, and chances are only five will go to training camp with the Raiders.
The 6-2, 200-pound Jones caught 20 passes for 147 yards without a touchdown for the Raiders last year after spending his first two-plus seasons with the Buffalo Bills, who picked him in the second round (No. 37 overall) out of East Carolina in 2017.
His spot on the roster was put in jeopardy when the Raiders drafted wide receivers Henry Ruggs of Alabama in the first round and Bryan Edwards in the third, then added versatile Lynn Bowden Jr. of Kentucky, also in round three. Undrafted free agent wide receiver Saiosi Mariner also has been added to the mix.
The 5-11, 208-pound Nelson, drafted in the fourth round (No. 110) by the Raiders out of Wisconsin in 2018, played in 10 games as a rookie but only two last season after starting the season on the practice squad and finishing it on the injured list because of a knee injury.
Nelson most likely became expendable when the Raiders drafted cornerbacks Damon Arnette of Ohio State in the first round and Amik Robertson of Louisiana Tech in the fourth, before signing undrafted free agent cornerback Madre Harper of Southern Illinois.
The Raiders should make their moves fairly soon, so stay tuned.
