The Raiders will cut quarterback DeShone Kizer, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). With that, Kizer will hit the waiver wire, where the Bengals hold the top priority.
A second-round selection in 2017, Kizer was pegged as a green talent that had high upside. Unfortunately for him, he was taken by the Browns, who proceeded to lose every game that season. At year’s end, he was shipped to Green Bay. Last year, the Packers dropped him before the final cut to 53, leading him to the Raiders. Unless he circles back to the Packers or Browns, he’ll join the fourth team of his NFL career.
Kizer is still only 24, but Jon Gruden & Co. didn’t see a place for him on the roster with Derek Carr, Marcus Mariota, and Nathan Peterman already in the QB room. Mariota, who joined on a two-year, $17.6MM deal, will be one freak or blown play away from taking the field in Las Vegas. Peterman, who was retained with a $2MM+ tender as a restricted free agent, figures to be the QB3.
Kizer has made 18 appearances over the course of his NFL career, most of which came during the Browns’ winless season. All in all, he’s got eleven touchdowns against 24 interceptions.
In addition to Kizer, the Raiders have also waived tight end Paul Butler, defensive end Kendall Donnerson, offensive lineman Kyle Kalis, and linebackers Te’Von Coney and Quentin Poling.
Former top-five pick Dion Jordan will resurface in Oakland. The Raiders and the veteran defensive end agreed to terms, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Jordan will join D.J. Swearinger as late-week Raiders additions. To make room on the 53-man roster, Karl Joseph will head to IR. Joseph suffered a foot injury late in the Raiders’ Thursday win over the Chargers.
This marks yet another chance for Jordan, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2013 draft. Suspensions nearly chased the Oregon product out of the league, but he did play 12 games for the Seahawks last season. Multiple teams were interested in adding him this year. Jordan, who was banned 10 games for a violation of the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy, will join a Raiders team that recently lost Arden Key for the season.
Jordan missed the 2015 season because of a substance-abuse ban and was shelved for all of 2016 as well. The pass rusher has battled both bans and injuries, having never come close to justifying his draft position. Jordan did register a career-high four sacks for the 2017 Seahawks, however. He recorded 1.5 last year.
A 2016 first-round pick, Joseph has started nine games this season. The Raiders did not pick up his 2020 option, and the West Virginia product may be headed toward free agency in March. While the Raiders have not ruled out retaining him, Jon Gruden has not been shy about jettisoning Reggie McKenzie‘s first-round picks. The previous GM’s other first-rounders left when Gruden took over — Khalil Mack, Amari Cooper, Gareon Conley — have all been traded over the past 15 months.
In order to get both Swearinger and Jordan on the roster, the Raiders also waived linebacker Quentin Poling.
