Oakland Raiders: 5 veterans in danger of being cut this summer

The Oakland Raiders experienced a lot of roster turnover this offseason. As such, here are five veterans who are in danger of being cut this summer.

The Oakland Raiders‘ 2019 roster should look vastly different from their 2018 version after an abundance of offseason roster moves. Many similar faces will return but a new core has been built through free agency, the NFL Draft, and the trade market.

New players such as Antonio Brown, Trent Brown and Josh Jacobs will now take on prominent roles for the offense while the defense will welcome the likes of Clelin Ferrell, Vontaze Burfict, and Lamarcus Joyner.

As a whole, there may not be a team in the NFL that underwent more extensive roster turnover this offseason than the Raiders.

That means that players who were around last season should expect more competition than before. Veterans who comfortably filled roles last year could find themselves taking on a limited role — or perhaps they could even find themselves without a job.

Let’s take a look at five veteran players on the Raiders who could be cut this summer.

5. Keith Smith, FB

The fullback is a dying breed in the NFL, but head coach Jon Gruden hasn’t kept his love affair for fullbacks too secretive. That said, even he can’t ignore the changing times.

That’s why it wasn’t all too surprising to see fullback Keith Smith used sparingly last season despite the initial preseason hype. Smith was on the field for just over 15% of offensive snaps and finished the season with just five catches for 23 yards.

Given his limited usage and lackluster production, his roster spot is far from guaranteed. On top of that, Smith is set to make $1.5 million this season but he could be cut at any point without any cap penalty.

The Raiders signed Wisconsin product Alec Ingold as an undrafted rookie following the 2019 NFL Draft and he would give the team a cheaper, perhaps more appealing option at the fullback position.

Ingold is more of a prototypical blocker and will be making over $1 million less which could entice the Raiders enough to give him the job. It will all depend on how the two play in the preseason, but at this stage, it’s easy to see Oakland sticking with Ingold over Smith.

Of course, the Raiders could always opt to leave the fullback job open on the roster and have one of their tight ends — perhaps rookie Foster Moreau — fill the role and pull double-duty.

Either way, Smith’s roster spot is far from safe.