And in one fell swoop, the Raiders have given us a better idea of what the Raiders wide receiver room will look like this season.
With the cutdown deadline fast approaching, the team has notified Keelan Cole and Phillip Dorsett they will not be on the initial 53-man roster, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL media.
The #Raiders have released WRs Keelan Cole and Phillip Dorsett, source said, and both veterans could be back on the practice squad.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 29, 2023
With four of the wide receiver spots looking to be set, it leaves one or two spots up for grabs and three receivers left to take it/them.
The four spots that are set are:
Davante Adams
Jakobi Meyers
Hunter Renfrow
DeAndre Carter
The three receivers vying for either the final spot or final two spots are Tre Tucker, Kristian Wilkerson, and Cam Sims.
Tucker looked terrible in preseason, dropping passes and muffing kicks. The only thing he may have going for him is being a third round (100 overall) rookie. But will that be enough?
Both Wilkerson and Sims made solid cases for their retention this preseason. Wilkerson in particular had a monster final preseason game in Dallas, with 10 catches for 122 yards. Sims had highlight reel grabs in both the final two preseason games. The first a toe-tapping touchdown against the Rams and the other a leaping 22-yard grab against the Cowboys.
Wilkerson is more of a possession receiver while Sims is a jump ball/red zone target. Wilkerson has familiarity in Josh McDaniels’s system, having spent two seasons in New England in 2020-21. Sims has more NFL experience, having appeared in 55 games with 17 starts over five seasons.
We will know soon which of these three made the roster.
UPDATE: Kristian Wilkerson has made the Raiders’ 53-man roster according to a source. That puts the Raiders WR room at five.