The Las Vegas Raiders have moved on from one of their three third-round draft picks before he even played a snap for the team.
The Raiders dealt the versatile Lynn Bowden Jr. to the Miami Dolphins on Saturday just over four months after drafting him 80th overall. Las Vegas also sent a 2021 sixth-round pick to Miami in the deal and got a fourth-rounder in return.
Bowden struggled to find a role as a backup running back during his first training camp and the Raiders decided to cut ties quickly in the biggest surprise Saturday when they reduced the roster to the 53-player limit.
He ran for 1,486 yards and 13 TDs, averaging 7.9 yards per carry last season, and was a first-team All-American as an all-purpose player. He caught 67 passes for 745 yards and five TDs in 2018 when he was primarily a receiver.
The Raiders opted to keep Devontae Booker as the third running back behind starter Josh Jacobs and Jalen Richard, also releasing Theo Riddick.
The Raiders let go of five players who saw action last year, with the most notable being 2018 seventh-round receiver Marcell Ateman and core special teams player Kyle Wilber. The others were receiver Keelan Doss, linebacker Justin Phillips and offensive lineman Lester Cotton.
Among the other noteworthy cuts were undrafted former UNLV linebacker Javin White, who drew high praise from coaches in training camp, tackle Sam Young and veteran defensive linemen Datone Jones and Chris Smith.
The other players let go were: defensive backs Madre Harper and Dylan Mabin; tight end Nick Bowers; linebacker Kyle Emanuel; defensive lineman Mike Panasiuk; receiver De’Mornay Pierson-El; and tackle Kamaal Seymour.
The Raiders also placed backup offensive lineman Eric Kush on injured reserve and cornerback Nevin Lawson on the suspended list. Lawson will miss the first game for using his helmet as a weapon in last year’s season finale at Denver.
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