Las Vegas Raiders make moves on 11 players ahead of Tuesday deadline

Instead of cutting more than three dozen players in one fell swoop, the Las Vegas Raiders announced roster moves for 11 players on Sunday with two days to go until the NFL deadline.

By Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET, the league’s 32 teams must reduce their rosters from 90 men to 53 men. Following the cuts, the teams can then designate another 16 players to the practice squad.

On Sunday, the Raiders waived seven players: linebacker Isaac Darkangelo, cornerback Isiah Brown, defensive tackle Doug Costin, cornerback Bryce Cosby, quarterback Chase Garbers, guard Vitaliy Gurman, and running back Darwin Thompson.

Las Vegas also waived receiver Chris Lacy with an injury designation. Lacy, an Oklahoma State alum, played several regular season games for the Detroit Lions in 2018 and 2019. He tallied three catches for 60 yards in those two seasons but hasn’t played in a regular season game since.

After Detroit, he signed reserve or practice squad deals with various teams including the Cowboys, Bears and Raiders. He had a futures/reserves deal with Las Vegas last season.

Raiders move three to IR

To clear more space for the active roster, the Raiders also moved several players to the injured reserve. Running back Brittain Brown, tight end Jacob Hollister, and receiver Isaiah Zuber all moved to injured reserve effectively ending their seasons. Players on IR don’t count toward the 53-man maximum.

Brown, drafted in the seventh round in the 2022 NFL Draft, had 34 carries with two touchdowns and 152 rushing yards last season for Las Vegas. His injury is currently listed as “undisclosed.”

Hollister, with another undisclosed injury, will likely miss his seventh season in the league. He has 83 catches for 707 yards and seven touchdowns over five seasons played with the Jaguars, Seahawks and Patriots since 2017.

Wide receiver Isaiah Zuber was going into his fourth season in the league before hitting IR. He caught two passes in four games played for New England in 2020 after leaving Mississippi State. The 6-foot-0 receiver’s injury is also “undisclosed.”

The Raiders still have another couple of business days to make their final decisions for the 53-man roster. After the initial moves, the roster now has 80 players.

Las Vegas begins the season with an afternoon game at the Denver Broncos. They went 2-1 in the preseason, with wins over the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers, and a loss versus the Dallas Cowboys.