Making Call on the Oakland Raiders' Hardest Remaining Cuts
The Oakland Raiders must say goodbye to at least 15 of their 90 players by September 1 and an additional 22 by September 5.
Some of those farewells will be long overdue, and others will continue living out their NFL dreams, just barely making the roster by the skin of their teeth.
We’ll speed up time and focus on some of the tougher cuts that’ll occur between September 1 and September 5.
At this juncture, a handful of players stand on roster bubbles ready to burst while others remain intact with some impressive offseason performances or by circumstance.
Which players make the cut? Which players get sent packing approximately a week before the regular-season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals?
RB, Trent Richardson: Keep
1 of 5
The totality of running back Trent Richardson’s offseason has been a far cry from a revitalization.
Instead, it resembles a rough journey requiring endurance and patience. He lost significant pounds at the conclusion of mandatory minicamp and now holds a weight level similar to his days at Alabama.
Then, a bout with pneumonia kept him off the practice field at the beginning of training camp. Richardson’s first preseason performance didn’t jump off the film, but he didn’t hurt his chances of making the 53-man roster.
Despite Michael Dyer’s flashes during the offseason, he has lost some steam leading up to a lackluster performance in the preseason opener.
He accumulated 11 yards with five carries and missed some blocking assignments in between. Dyer’s absences from training camp sessions leading up to his NFL debut may have contributed to the slight letdown in his performance.
No reports have circulated about the severity of Roy Helu's injury, but it kept him sidelined Friday night.
A combination of injuries and a rookie learning curve increases Richardson's value by default. His commitment to better conditioning and a leaner physique should allow him at least one prove-it year in Oakland.
OL, Tony Bergstrom: Cut
2 of 5
General manager Reggie McKenzie holds onto offensive lineman Tony Bergstrom like an old baseball card, hoping his value increases over time. Sorry McKenzie, but it’s time to give up on your very first draft pick from 2012.
A former third-round pick, Bergstrom started one game over the past three seasons. Recently, he took snaps as the backup center behind Rodney Hudson. After a couple of decent practices, he faltered as the competition level increased.
According to SilverandBlackPride.com writer Levi Damien, undrafted rookie defensive tackle Leon Orr embarrassed Bergstrom during one of the training camp sessions:
“The worst blocking was probably Tony Bergstrom working at center who was pushed back by Leon Orr the first time, and had to hold him on the third one.”
At 6’5”, 323 pounds, Orr resembles a mammoth beast in pads, but Bergstrom’s struggles continued in the preseason game against the St. Louis Rams.
Entering his fourth-year in the league, Bergstrom was pushed around by the Rams second- and third-unit defenses.
Offensive guard Lamar Mady graded higher than Bergstrom as a backup center, per Pro Football Focus, and put together some solid practices over the past three months.
It probably hurts McKenzie to realize Bergstrom's gross underachievement, but he must trim the fat.
WR, Kenbrell Thompkins: Cut
3 of 5
Wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins competes for a roster spot at a position with plenty of depth behind the starters. There's fluidity at the position from week to week. Right now, Thompkins stands as the odd man out.
The top four receivers remain unchanged with Michael Crabtree, Amari Cooper, Rod Streater (who’s now practicing) and Andre Holmes leading the pack. Brice Butler had an impressive performance in the preseason opener, leading all wide receivers in receptions and yards.
Head coach Jack Del Rio praised Butler and hinted that solid performers will get more opportunities to play and those who do less get fewer opportunities going forward. Butler should continue to see his snap count increase with some first-team three-receiver sets.
The emergence of wide receiver Seth Roberts pushes Thompkins off the depth chart. San Francisco Chronicle writer Vic Tafur says (via Twitter) the coaching staff took a liking to Roberts, which allowed him reps with the first team during practice.
The undrafted wide receiver translated those productive practices into a strong showing in the preseason opener. He was the second-most productive wide receiver on the field behind Butler. Roberts caught all four passes thrown his way. He should also continue to see an increase in his reps.
On the flip side, Thompkins put together some solid practices but disappeared Friday night. He hauled in one catch for six yards, and his attempt at converting a two-point conversion failed with the ball just outside of the goal line.
One week can certainly change the positioning of the wide receiver depth chart. Right now, Thompkins trails Butler and Roberts at the No. 5 and No. 6 spots.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
S, Larry Asante: Keep
4 of 5
Thus far, safety Larry Asante has put together a solid offseason and led all defensive backs in snaps with 40 against the Rams.
The Raiders coaching staff clearly liked what it saw from the fifth-year defensive back as he shut down play after play all over the field. Asante suffocated receivers after the catch. He surrendered three receptions for a mere nine yards.
Fellow safety Jonathan Dowling didn’t look as impressive. He missed two tackles and dropped a potential interception that prompted color commentator and Hall of Fame wide receiver Tim Brown to explain why defensive backs cannot become wide receivers.
As a veteran, Asante plays with a readiness and awareness Dowling still lacks in the secondary. The second-year safety out of Western Kentucky has time to grow, but the fifth-year veteran seems primed to take the field as a solid backup in the upcoming season.
CB, Chimdi Chekwa: Cut
5 of 5
The Raiders will likely part ways with cornerback Chimdi Chekwa, yet again.
The fourth-year cornerback re-signed with the Raiders after a very brief stint with the New England Patriots, who needed some depth at cornerback with the departures of Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner.
NFL.com’s Kevin Patra notes Chekwa’s stay with the Patriots lasted all of two months before he returned to the pool of free agents.
The Raiders decided to give their former fourth-round pick a second chance, but he’s not making the most of the opportunity.
Chekwa hasn’t flashed at all during camp and didn’t get a single snap in the first preseason game, both discouraging signs in regard to making the 53-man roster.
Cornerbacks Neiko Thorpe and Ras-I-Dowling had decent outings with extended snaps, but at the very least, they took the field. No sign of Chekwa likely means a late cut for the veteran no-show.
Follow Maurice Moton on Twitter for Raiders' news and updates.
All statistics are provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com and Pro Football Focus unless otherwise noted.
In-game play-by-play is provided by NFL.com.
The Raiders roster is courtesy of Raiders.com.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
