The Las Vegas Raiders had some difficult decisions to make as the deadline for submitting their initial 53-man roster loomed last week. While most of the players who landed on the team were expected, there were a handful of surprising inclusions and omissions.
Most notably, the team opted to get rid of sixth-round rookie wide receiver Tommy Mellott, as he did not even come back on the practice squad. 2024 undrafted free agent center Will Putnam also snuck onto the roster after flying under the radar during the offseason.
End-of-roster players from previous regimes also had a hard time finding their footing on a new-look Raiders team, as Thayer Munford Jr.