Oakland Raiders Roster Gets A Trimming: James Jones And Others Cut
Here yesterday, gone today.
The Oakland Raiders have already begun to shed the skein of regimes past, cutting James Jones. Miles Burris, and Kevin Boothe within 24 hours of finalizing the draft class.
More from Las Vegas Raiders News
- Raiders: Rookie stock report following Week 3 performance
- Raiders: Bryan Edwards out, Henry Ruggs doubtful for Sunday
- Raiders: Damon Arnette re-injures thumb, could be headed to IR
- Raiders fall short in letdown Week 3 loss to the New England Patriots
- Raiders: Game breakdown and prediction for Week 3 at New England Patriots
Of the three, Jones is by far the most puzzling. In addition to adding a veteran presence in the locker room, Jones performed on the field, hauling in a team-high 73 receptions and six touchdowns last season. The cap savings are minimal for a team that has in cap room what it lacks in talent. Jones clearly had begun to build a rapport with Derek Carr last season, too. All for naught.
The only reasonable explanation is that Reggie McKenize is doing Jones a favor, allowing him to explore other options – across the Bay, perhaps? – early in the process. The less reasonable explanation is that the team is getting ahead of itself with an infusion of talent.
This is not a receiving corps that screams too much talent. And with Jones’ departure, the Raiders are left with a void in leadership. Michael Crabtree becomes the most experienced veteran, by far, with a seven year tenure. Rod Streater waits in the wings with just over half that. It’s a youth movement gamble, echoing McKenzie’s strategy draft-wise.
The Miles Burris cut is more straightforward. Simply put, he was awful. Really, really awful.
Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded him out as the worst inside linebacker in the league, and even if your test saw him in a more favorable light, it was still dim. The 16 missed tackles he recorded simply does not do him justice. The worst grade PFF has ever given an inside linebacker does.
Burris was, simply put, a try-hard linebacker, a step too slow for the NFL.
His exit marks another milestone — he was the penultimate player remaining from Reggie McKenzie‘s inaugural draft class, leaving only Tony Bergstrom on the roster. Jack Crawford, Juron Criner, Christo Bilukidi, and Nathan Stupar — all gone. It was McKenzie’s first attempt at a draft class, and it was not a good one.
More from Golden Gate Sports
- Raiders: Rookie stock report following Week 3 performance
- 49ers sign new long snapper amidst a flurry of roster moves
- Oakland Athletics win Game 2 of Wild Card round with late-inning drama
- 49ers: George Kittle and Deebo Samuel cleared to return to practice
- 49ers expected to place DE Dee Ford on injured reserve
Crawford remains a reserve pass rusher buried on the Cowboys depth chart. He will easily fall behind Randy Gregory and Greg Hardy. Criner is a fifth-string option behind a long list of New York Giants. Victor Cruz may never play again. He still supersedes Criner on the dept chart.
The same applies to Bilukidi, a feel-good story, with a withering NFL trajectory. Stupar is a likely 53-man casualty behind a bevy of pass rushers brought in from the Falcons’ draft class.
Tony Bergstrom is the lone survivor from a forgettable 2012 class that McKenzie made with both hands tied behind his back and Al Davis’ ghost sitting on his head.
Bergstrom managed to survive Bloody Monday in Oakland. The team has chosen to slough off utility lineman Kevin Boothe instead. Still, with young bodies entering in Jonathan Feliciano and Anthony Morris, it would not be a surprise to see the team make a clean break from the underperforming, unvaunted 2012 draft class entirely.
The guillotine hangs heavy. It cannot be long before Bergstrom is cut, as well.