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The Las Vegas Raiders began the offseason by replacing head coach Antonio Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco, and the franchise has continued to undergo nonstop change since. The team's new tandem of Pete Carroll and John Spytek made massive shifts to the roster-building philosophy during free agency, and they are continuing in that vein after the 2025 NFL Draft.
Instead of paying big money for veteran players, the team chose not to re-sign several defensive starters and instead chose to build the team through the draft. This mindset provided the Raiders with 11 draft selections and another 15 undrafted free agents being added into the fold.
Spytek and Carroll made more moves on Monday, signing six new players to contracts. Veteran linebacker Jaylon Smith was the headliner, but the team also added young wideouts Ketron Jackson Jr. and Key'Shawn Smith, as well as defensive end Jahfari Harvey, linebacker Wesley Steiner and safety Jonathan Sutherland.
While none of these players were necessarily priority signings for the Silver and Black, they will all have a chance to compete for a spot on the Raiders' roster. Each of the rooms that these players will be entering should have wide open competitions as far as making the final 53-man team, so it should be an exciting offseason of training camp battles for Raider Nation.
More must-reads:
- Commanders flaw exposed in blowout preseason loss to Ravens
- Browns GM makes wild statement on team's quarterback situation
- The '2024-25 NFL rushing touchdown leaders' quiz
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Browns HC, Shedeur Sanders clear air on controversial benching during two-minute drill
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders appeared to be frustrated with Kevin Stefanski when the head coach took him out for the final offensive drive of Saturday's preseason game. The Browns made a curious decision to put in Tyler Huntley to lead the offense in the final two minutes of their final preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams at Huntington Bank Field. Huntley, who has almost no chance of making the 53-man roster, engineered a six-play, 46-yard drive that ended in a game-winning field goal to give the Browns a 19-17 win. Following the game, Stefanski was asked about why Sanders approached him before Huntley went in. Stefanski claimed the rookie quarterback was just being a competitor, and there was nothing more to it than that, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Sanders told reporters he didn't know the Browns were benching him for the two-minute drill. "I didn't know I was out, Sanders said via video from ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi. "I was on a bike that was powering up... I was powering up for that two-minute drive. Because that's just a situation every quarterback dreams for... I thought I was in. So then (Stefanski) told me I wasn't in. I was like, 'Ok.'" Sanders left the game after leading the offense to five straight punts. He struggled in his second preseason appearance, going 3-of-6 passing for 14 yards. The fifth-round pick took six sacks for -50 yards. Sanders didn't want to leave on that low note. The Browns shouldn't have let him. Stefanski should have given Sanders the chance to run the two-minute offense and gain valuable experience instead of giving reps to a player who won't be on the roster by Tuesday afternoon.
Commanders' easiest cut after preseason catastrophe is painfully obvious
The Washington Commanders concluded what quickly became a lackluster preseason with a defeat to the Baltimore Ravens. None of the starters played aside from left guard Brandon Coleman, and others did not shine further down the pecking order once again. This presents general manager Adam Peters with some difficult upcoming decisions. Cuts will be made in the coming days. Rosters around the league must be trimmed to 53 by Tuesday at 4 p.m. Eastern Time, and there is one pending departure that seems pretty straightforward after another catastrophic display with the spotlight glaring. With Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota both rightfully getting the afternoon off, this represented the last chance saloon for Sam Hartman to carve out a position for himself as the team's third quarterback. Unfortunately, not for the first time during Washington's preseason slate, he didn't capitalize. Commanders have a simple decision to make wiith quarterback Sam Hartman Hartman was hesitant in the pocket. There is almost no velocity on his throws, especially when he goes to the outside. The game seems to move too fast for him, and the undrafted free agent doesn't look capable of being a successful NFL quarterback right now. The former Wake Forest and Notre Dame standout completed 70.58 percent of his passes for 114 yards and no touchdowns. Hartman threw two interceptions, lost a fumble, and earned a lowly 49.3 passer rating for his efforts. Things would have looked better had Chris Moore not dropped a deep pass, but it wasn't to be. And that mistake all but sealed his fate, too. Not exactly the best way to cement his status. However, his one consolation was the fact that veteran journeyman Josh Johnson hasn't exactly been shining when given reps either. That could mean Hartman gets to stick around on the practice squad, especially given his close relationship with Daniels. But in terms of finding his name on the 53-man roster, that's out of the question based on his performance levels throughout the preseason. There's not much chance of another team scooping him off the waiver wire based on his on-field contributions over the three games. Making the practice squad in Washington for the second straight year is the absolute ceiling, but it wouldn't be a huge shock to see Peters bring in another signal-caller at the expense of Hartman and Johnson. This is all part of the NFL's ruthless nature. The next few days will be difficult for those on the fringes. Peters is gearing up for some uncomfortable conversations, but he'll do what's right for the franchise moving forward. Hartman will be expecting the worst and hoping for the best. But his future looks increasingly bleak. More Commanders news and analysis
Ex-Chiefs' QB gets rare chance, dazzles in Bills' preseason win over Buccaneers
With Mitch Trubisky and Mike White seemingly a step ahead in the battle for the Buffalo Bills' backup quarterback role, Shane Buechele was somewhat of an afterthought when looking at the big picture. Being a roster longshot wasn't nearly enough to deter Buechele from letting it rip during the Bills' final preseason game on Saturday night in Tampa. The native Texan earned the starting nod against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he proceeded to quarterback Buffalo to a wire-to-wire exhibition win. “It's my first time ever playing a full game in the NFL, and it was a lot of fun, man. I just thank God for the opportunity," said Buechele. The 27-year-old Buechele went 25-of-30 passing for 278 yards and one touchdown in the 23-19 victory over the Buccaneers. Two of his five incompletions could be considered drops by the intended receiver. He also rushed for 20 yards on five carries. “Great to have Shane out there. I thought he had great command of the game. We moved the ball down the field, and we were able to score points, control clock, play good situational football," said Bills' head coach Sean McDermott. While Buechele has yet to take a regular season snap, he's been in the NFL since signing with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2021. He was on the Chiefs' roster throughout their 2022 Super Bowl season, but was inactive on gamedays. Buechele joined the Bills' practice squad after being released by the Chiefs prior to the 2023 regular season. He suffered an injury last summer, landing on season-ending Injured Reserve. Fighting to remain a member of the Bills' QB room for a third year, Buechele appears in all three preseason games. His 380 yards passing ranked third overall amongst AFC leaders this summer. More Buffalo Bills News: Sean McDermott changes Bills' preseason protocol for 'reigning MVP' Josh Allen Bills' GM offers cautiously worded Tre'Davious White injury update Bills waive rookie safety, sign undrafted CB who was cut by Packers last week Bobby Babich reveals secret that's kept Bills' veterans on roster for so long Bills' QB Josh Allen and familiar free-agent WR 'haven't stopped being in contact'
Green Bay Packers: Malik Willis Gets Incredible Take From Matt LaFleur After Seahawks Game
Pat McAfee has strong reaction to Hall of Fame honor
Former punter Pat McAfee is receiving an honor that is rare for a special teams member. On Friday, West Virginia announced that McAfee was one of six players entering the program's Hall of Fame for the 2025 class. McAfee is thankful for the recognition from his former school. He used some strong language to react to WVU's reveal. "It was nice to have an opportunity to think back and reminisce about a great era of my life," McAfee posted on X. "I am so thankful for the recognition. This is normally something I would try and f------ hate.. I’d say that it’s b------- and they feel obligated to do this but; this call made my soul feel good. Thanks for the opportunity to be a Mountaineer @RealCoachRod.. it was an honor." McAfee was a highly productive specialist at West Virginia, earning First-team All-American honors in 2008. During his time with the Mountaineers, he set the school record for most games played (51), scoring (384) and extra points made (210). He held the Big East record for most extra points made, when he made 210 of 212 attempts. McAfee's success at West Virginia propelled the Indianapolis Colts to select him in the seventh round of the 2009 draft. He earned All-Pro honors in 2014 and made the Pro Bowl in 2014 and 2016. He has the highest career net average in punting years with 41.1. McAfee should be proud of his achievements during his days in college and the legacy he is building with the program. The ESPN pundit even used his influence to speak with WVU athletic director Wren Baker to help with the coaching search that ultimately brought back Rich Rodriguez to the school.
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