Oakland Raiders: Can Jordan Lasley earn a chance at redemption?

Newly-claimed Oakland Raiders wide receiver Jordan Lasley has a chance at redemption if he could find a way to make the team’s 53-man roster this summer.

The Oakland Raiders haven’t exactly shied away from players with off-field issues or perceived “attitude issues” which makes their most recent pickup of wide receiver Jordan Lasley all the less surprising.

Lasley was recently waived by the Baltimore Ravens after getting into a scuffle with cornerback Cyrus Jones during last Tuesday’s practice. Now, the 22-year-old is being given a chance to get his career back on track.

Lasley’s issues date back to his days playing at UCLA where, despite standing out on the field, he got into his fair share of trouble off of it.

The talented receiver was arrested multiple times in college for possession of alcohol and presenting a fake ID, resulting in a suspension that forced him to miss the final three games of his junior season. Despite this, Lasley still put up monstrous numbers.

The Bruins’ star wideout hauled in 69 receptions for 1,264 yards and nine touchdowns despite playing in only nine games. After that season, Lasley decided to turn pro — a decision that would lead to him being drafted in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Ravens.

Lasley would struggle to see any playing time in 2018 as, despite being on the 53-man roster all season, he was never active for an actual game. Perhaps Baltimore was a poor fit, but it was clear that his rookie campaign was essentially a redshirt season.

And with an improved wide receiver core in 2019, Lasley was evidently pushed down the depth chart prior to his release. So there’s a very good chance that he wouldn’t have made the team regardless.

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Head coach John Harbough has insisted that the scuffle on Tuesday had nothing to do with his departure, but that does seem a little hard to believe.

Nevertheless, the Raiders scooped the talented wideout off waivers on Thursday adding to a much-improved wide receiver group. The likes of Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams highlight a completely revamped Raiders receiving core in 2019.

And with others such as J.J. Nelson, Hunter Renfrow, Ryan Grant, Dwayne Harris, Marcell Ateman, and Keelan Doss already positioned ahead of him on the depth chart, Lasley will undoubtedly be faced with an uphill battle.

But it’s clear that he has the talent to stand out.

Lasley was as explosive as any receiver in the 2018 class and has the size/speed blend of an All-Pro receiving threat. However, the flash comes with plenty of inconsistencies.

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Lasley struggled with drops in college and would consistently frustrate his coaches with his inconsistent hands. Combine that with a less-than-stellar off-field reputation and it’s easy to see why he fell to the fifth round despite being considered a top-50 talent.

The explosive Lasley might have more natural talent than any receiver on the roster not named Antonio Brown, but it’s going to take more than talent to make it on a Jon Gruden-led team.

Hopefully, a veteran such as Harris could take Lasley under his wing and help the second-year pro get his career back on track. The good news is that he still has practice squad eligibility so we could see Lasley be sent there if he isn’t able to make the final 53-man roster.

At the very least, this is a low-risk offseason waiver claim of a player with immense potential if he could put everything together.

Here’s to hoping that Lasley could find a way to turn his career around and earn a chance at redemption.