Raiders release Johnathan Abram, adding to Jon Gruden regime's awful draft legacy
On Tuesday afternoon, the Las Vegas Raiders cut ties with fourth-year safety Johnathan Abram, a move that adds to the long list of failed draft picks made under the regime of former head coach Jon Gruden.
The Mississippi State product, a former first-round pick, started 34 games for the Raiders, totaling 255 tackles.
According to Tashan Reed of The Athletic, "the Raiders decided that Abram wasn’t going to be a part of their future," and believed he "looked OK as a starter in the first six games of the season, but he still didn’t look like a difference-maker."
Before the trade deadline, Abram played on 92% of the team's defensive snaps. Following Las Vegas' inability to move him, that figure dropped to 40%.
Abram wasn't good enough to stay on the 22nd-worst passing defense (2,042 yards allowed). He's free to sign elsewhere, potentially being a low-risk signing for a rebuilding team.
Of the 23 players drafted under the Gruden regime, only 11 remain. RB Josh Jacobs and DE Maxx Crosby stand out among them as quality players.
This year's Raiders regime has made its own share of questionable decisions.
Before the season, the first-year duo of GM Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels declined Jacobs' fifth-year option. He is fourth in rushing yards in the NFL with 743.
The tandem also showed confidence in passing threats Hunter Renfrow (WR) and Darren Waller (TE), signing them to big extensions before the season, but the deals look like massive overpayments. Neither has played well.
After trading for All-Pro wideout Davante Adams in the offseason, the Raiders somehow managed to be worse than last season. At 2-6, the Raiders are last in the AFC West.
In Week 10, Las Vegas hosts the Indianapolis Colts and the league's most inexperienced coaching staff. If the Raiders lose, expect more closed-door conversations between owner Mark Davis and McDaniels.
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