Biggest Raiders Questions After Trimming Roster to 53 Players

Las Vegas cut their roster in about half ahead of Sunday's cutdown day deadline. The moves they made reinforced most of the decisions the Raiders' front office and coaching staff made this offseason. However, there are still issues facing the roster as Week 1 approaches.

The Raiders eliminated many questions and concerns before taking the field for training camp, but that was just the beginning. Below are some of the biggest questions facing Las Vegas' front office and coaching staff following cutdown day.

What Happens if Washington Gets Hurt?

It currently remains unclear how long the Raiders will be without running back Ashton Jeanty, who recently suffered an injury in practice. Las Vegas was prepared, as they had already begun building a portion of their offense around rookie running back Mike Washington and other running backs.

Still, until Jeanty gets back, it is hard not to wonder what the Raiders will do should Washington miss time before Jeanty returns. They have several other running backs on the roster, but none of them bring to the table what Jeanty and Washington do.

Who Steps Up in Walker's Absence?

Las Vegas had one of the oldest starting sets of linebackers in the league last season. Not only did they get younger, but they also upgraded the talent at the position this offseason. Walker will make an immediate impact for the Raiders this season.

Walker's addition will help Las Vegas compensate for areas of weakness on defense. Yet, his importance to the team is only outweighed by the sizeable hole the Raiders will have at the position should he go down. Moving forward, Las Vegas must continue to add depth.

How Will Raiders' Approach to WR Position Pan Out?

Las Vegas has made it clear that it would prefer to stockpile a group of receivers who may not be well-known but do their jobs well. The Raiders have begun figuring out which receivers they can depend on and which they cannot. The regular season will help, too.

However, until the Raiders' receivers can confirm through their on-field performance that they are what the front office and Kubiak are looking for, there will always be room for an addition or change to the position group.

Overall, the Raiders have a group of young receivers who have not earned the benefit of the doubt. If anything, it is the opposite: doubts will follow the position group as a whole until they can confirm they are a quality group during the regular season.

It is a long, 17-game season. If Las Vegas' receivers are not up to par, it will be quite evident relatively early. The position group could undoubtedly use more help. Spytek is always looking to improve the roster; receiver will be a position he quietly looks to improve at moving forward.

“We're always constantly trying to get every room better, and I know Klint [Kubiak] told you guys a week or two ago that more is expected of that room, but I would say every room more is expected, and we have a young room. I think the oldest guy in there is 27 years old, and so there's a lot of growth potential in that room still,” Spytek said following cutdown day.

“Even though some of the guys have played quite a bit of football, and we're committed to building the best team possible, and I respect those guys in that room with the way they work, and they know, and every position group knows that they have to bring their best every day, and they've got to do what's asked of them. We've got to win football games."