Oakland Raiders: A few players to watch in preseason game vs. Rams

Seth Roberts

Seth Roberts, sometimes hero, sometimes good luck charm, sometimes goat (no – goat, not GOAT) is most definitely on the roster bubble. It’s almost unthinkable, considering the fact that he just signed a three-year, $12 million dollar deal last summer. Yet – here we are.

Roberts has come up with some incredibly clutch plays in his time with the Raiders. He’s also had a penchant for dropping passes – something that will set Gruden off every time.

Las Vegas Raiders

We already know that the Raiders have been actively shopping Roberts – reports of that surfaced during the Draft, but they obviously found no takers and he remains on Oakland’s roster.

That doesn’t mean he’ll be there after the final cut-down day though.

With such a glut of bodies at the position, and so few spots, Roberts was going to need to stand out during camp if he wanted to make the case for keeping his position. Unfortunately for him, he missed a portion of camp with an injury, and though he’s back and healthy, he’s looking at a steep uphill climb in front of him.

Roberts now has three preseason games to show that he can master the complexities of Gruden’s offense, and stand out not just on offense, but on special teams as well. With Amari Cooper, Jordy Nelson, and Martavis Bryant likely occupying the top three spots, Roberts is in a position where he needs to add value. He can’t just rely on his past heroics and think he’s in good shape.

Nor can he rely on the contract he signed last year as insurance that he’ll make the team.

If the Raiders can’t find a trade partner, unless Roberts does something to really stand out over these next three preseason games, there is every possibility that they cut him. They’ll have to eat a little more than $4 million in dead cap money this year, but they’ll be clear of the rest of his contract next season entirely.

If Roberts can’t show that he can be a valuable and productive contributor on offense and special teams, there doesn’t seem to be much doubt that Gruden would have no trouble cutting his losses and moving on.