Oakland Raiders: Team Makes Moves to Get Down to 53 Players
Two and a half hours after the NFL mandated deadline for teams to be at a total of 53 active players, the Oakland Raiders decided to finally let the world know how they got to that number. It wasn’t bad enough that the league decided to give teams ’til 6:00PM on a Friday night in order to have their list turned in, the Raiders decided to make it even more suspenseful. In all, there were few surprises on the list, which made it all the more irritating for those who follow the team in an official, or unofficial way.
Any interesting nuggets from the list? A few. For one, Aaron Curry was placed on the regular season physically unable to perform (PUP) list. What that means is that he’s not quite ready to return to the team, and the Raiders want to use his roster spot. The bad news is that, unlike the preseason version of the list, Curry can’t just come off the list at any time. He must miss at least the first 6 weeks of the season.
The only player that may have been at least a little bit of a surprise to see released is Nate Stupar.
Stupar has looked good in practice, and in the final preseason game vs. Seattle, he played like a madman. He had 10 tackles and a sack in the game. Not only did he have a great game, the Raiders aren’t exactly stacked at the linebacker position. Although chances are Reggie McKenzie and Dennis Allen have a few players in mind that they want to bring in, it’s still a mild surprise.
For those of you wondering why Marquette King didn’t punt in Thursday’s game, apparently King suffered a mysterious season-ending toe injury that will sideline him for the year. I hope you were able sense the sarcasm there. Placing him on IR is the only way the team is able to keep him on the team without cutting the best punter in the league.
Without further ado, here are the roster moves made to get the team down to the league mandated 53.
WAIVED:
LB Kaelin Burnett
K Eddy Carmona
WR Derek Carrier
WR Brandon Carswell
DE Hall Davis
TE Kyle Efaw
DL Dominique Hamilton
OL Kevin Haslam
OL Nick Howell
LB Chad Kilgore
OL Dan Knapp
WR Eddie McGee
C Colin Miller
RB Lonyae Miller
WR Travionte Session
LB Nathan Stupar
S Curtis Taylor
RESERVE/INJURED:
TE Tory Humphrey (hamstring)
P Marquette King (toe)
S Brandon Underwood (hip/groin)
RESERVE/PUP
LB Aaron Curry (knees)
TERMINATED:
WR Roscoe Parrish
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I am at a total loss on the Nathan Stupar waiver. My doubts on this season are starting to increase dramatically. But have been a fan since 1974 and will always be, but want to be a happy one this year for a change. 10 years is a long time to wait.