Raiders Reunite With Speedy Josh McDaniels WR, Cut Ties With 4 Rookies

Ahead of training camp, the Las Vegas Raiders weren’t making many moves. Now that training camp is here, the team is starting to tinker with the roster.

One of the youngest position groups on the roster is wide receiver. Jakobi Meyers and Collin Johnson are the only wide receivers on the roster who have more than two years of experience.

However, that’s changing now. The Raiders announced on Tuesday that they’ve signed wide receiver Phillip Dorsett to the roster.

He’ll definitely bring experience to the team’s wide receiver position. He’s been in the NFL since 2015, when he was a first-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts. This will be Dorsett’s second stint with the Raiders.

He was signed in 2023 when Josh McDaniels was still the head coach, but he was released before the start of the season and didn’t play a game for the team. He’ll now get a second chance to make the roster. It’ll be an uphill battle. The Raiders have some exciting young players who could look great in training camp. That said, Dorsett’s experience could give him an advantage.

Raiders Release 4 Rookies

Dorsett wasn’t the only move the Raiders made. They also signed safety Jamal Adams, safety JT Woods, offensive guard Atonio Mafi and wide receiver Seth Williams.

To make room for all of these new players, Las Vegas had to make some roster cuts. They waived four rookies in cornerback Mello Dotson, wide receiver Key’Shawn Smith, linebacker Jailin Walker and wide receiver Zakhari Franklin. All of them were undrafted players, so the Raiders aren’t losing anything by moving on.

Raiders Will Have Intense WR Competition

The only wide receiver on the Raiders’ roster who can be penciled in for one of the starting spots is Meyers. He was a 1,000-yard wide receiver last year and should be even better with Geno Smith at quarterback.

However, behind Meyers, it’s anybody’s guess who else will start. There are some exciting rookies, and Tre Tucker showed some signs last season. Regardless, the Raiders are going to have a true competition at wide receiver in training camp, according to Tashan Reed of The Athletic.

“If Meyers continues to work primarily from the slot during training camp, receivers who are more effective on the outside will have a leg up in the competition,” Reed wrote. “As it stands, it’ll be a three-man race between Dont’e Thornton, Tre Tucker and Jack Bech. Thornton stood out the most among the group during OTAs. He’s just different physically — he’s 6 feet 4 and has blazing speed — and is working on the nuances of route running and increasing his knowledge of Kelly’s scheme. Tucker was also ahead of Bech in the rotation and had his moments during OTAs.

“For Bech, the key will be improving his ability to win from the outside. He’s best from the slot, but there’s a logjam there between Meyers and tight end Brock Bowers, who also works there frequently. The second-round pick has some work to do to make up ground on Thornton and Tucker.”