On Friday night, the Las Vegas Raiders completed their final preseason game. The Raiders tied the San Francisco 49ers 24-24, but the score wasn’t as important as the players’ effort on the field. It was the final test for players on the bubble of making the 53-man roster to impress the Raiders coaching staff.
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Undrafted rookie linebacker Amari Gainer might have squeezed out one of those 53 spots after making 13 total tackles and two tackles for loss on Friday night. The North Carolina product finished the preseason with 19 total tackles.
Head coach Antonio Pierce praises Amari Gainer
Per the Raiders website, head coach Antonio Pierce said Gainer stood out in the tie against the 49ers:
“I thought Amari did a really good job,” said Pierce. “Listen, you’ve got an opportunity, you make the most of it. … He stuck in there to the very end and called the defense tonight. First time he’s done that as well. Just some bright spots and things he can learn from as well. That was good to see.”
Gainer has had an impressive camp
The Raiders have a talented defense this year. It won’t be easy for any undrafted defender to make the roster. But Gainer has had a strong training camp. Vic Tafur with The Athletic has Gainer making the 53-man roster in his roster projections:
“Undrafted rookie Gainer was a highly touted pass rusher out of high school who couldn’t find his niche at two college stops, but he has made some plays this camp in pass coverage and chasing down running backs.”
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Pierce has tough decisions to make in the next few days. It’s not easy for coaches to cut players they saw giving their all in training camp. However, that’s the nature of the business.
The Las Vegas Raiders have tough decisions to make
Pierce explained how he and general manager Tom Telesco plan to attack the roster this week:
“Me and Tom are going to sit there and pound some tape away and brainstorm and put some names up there and just look at it,” Pierce said following the preseason finale. “It’s tough. It’s not easy cutting 37 men and tell them they got to find somewhere else to play or whatever it may be. Nature of the beast, and we’ll evaluate over the next 48 hours.”
The Raiders have two weeks to prepare for their first game of the regular season against the Los Angeles Chargers. Gainer problem won’t be a Week 1 starter for the Raiders. However, if he makes the cut next week, he’ll be expected to contribute on special teams. Gainer could see rotational play on defense as the season progresses, provided he attacks the regular season like he did training camp.
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