The Raiders must trim their roster to 75 players by Tuesday, but started that process on Monday by cutting two names you know.
The Raiders released running back Trent Richardson and waived receiver Kenbrell Thompkins as part of their early cuts, according to media reports.
Richardson’s departure wasn’t a surprise. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2012 draft looked sluggish as a rusher, without the speed or burst required to break through the line of scrimmage. Raiders gave $600,000 in guaranteed money to an experiment that didn’t pan out, something evident early in training camp.
He was outshined by undrafted rookie Michael Dyer in practice. Taiwan Jones showed great speed in his return to running back and Roy Helu Jr. proved a versatile option when he returned to health.
[RELATED: Tracker: Raiders start making roster cuts]
Richardson was far from a lock to make the team, but his fate seemed cemented after consecutive games where he didn’t produce and often went down with little resistance.
Seeing Thompkins cut at this stage was a bit of a surprise. He worked with the first team as a third receiver in most preseason practices, but never produced in games. He had just four catches for 27 yards in three games. He had a rough night on Sunday with one catch for six yards and two drops on six targets.
Thompkins’ release speaks to the Raiders’ depth at receiver, and recent production from Seth Roberts and Brice Butler. There always seemed to be an odd man out if the Raiders kept six wideouts. It looks like Thompkins was it.
ESPN reported that Richardson had been released. Pro Football Talk reported that Thompkins was waived.
