Sportsnaut
Few teams have struggled more than the Las Vegas Raiders have this season. After hiring an experienced coach like Pete Carroll, trading for a Pro Bowl quarterback, and drafting arguably the best player available in Ashton Jeanty, the Raiders expected to compete for a playoff spot.
Yet, after a 2-7 start, any hopes of trying to reach the postseason will have to be pushed off until 2026 at the earliest. With just eight more games left to play, it’s time for the Raiders to evaluate to shift into evaluation mode and get a jumpstart on building next season’s roster.
On Tuesday, the Raiders made a string of notable roster moves. Some that even foreshadow another roster move that could be coming soon.
Specifically, the Raiders have signed linebacker Jamin Davis to the practice squad and placed offensive guard Jackson Powers-Johnson on injured reserve. But those may not even be the most impactful roster moves of the week.
The Raiders also added veteran kicker Greg Joseph to the practice squad. It’s the latest sign that the Raiders are growing impatient with All-Pro kicker Daniel Carlson, who has connected on just 12-of-16 of his field goals this season. He’s also missed an extra point, but has otherwise connected on 11-of-12 point after attempts.
Carlson’s Week 10 miss against the Broncos, a game the Raiders lost by just thre points, seems to have spurred the move. Carlson is in the final year of four-year, $18.4 million contract with the Raiders, where he has a $5.15 million cap hit this season.
Joseph, 31, has yet to appear in a game this season, but he’s kicked for six different NFL teams. He’s appeared in 75 games and holds an 82.3% accuracy rate on his field goals, and 90.8% on extra points. Carlson has hit 86.7% of his field goal attempts and he’s made 95.5% of his extra points.
Related: NFL Report Card: Grading All Teams Before NFL Week 11
More must-reads:
