Going into the training camp, many believed Dont’e Thornton Jr. might be a candidate to be left off the final roster, and after missing essentially all of training camp and preseason with an undisclosed injury, it seemed even more likely the Raiders would cut bait with Thornton.
But when the initial 53-man roster was released on Sunday night, Thornton was on the team, and to at least two media personalities around the team, the decision came as a surprise.
“I just knew that short-term IR was going to be what they were going to do with him,” Raider Nation Radio host Myers said on the Locked on Raiders podcast.
“He missed all the training camp. All of preseason we’ve been seeing him working off to the side. I know Klint Kubiak said he was going to come back sooner rather than later, but it felt like with the fact that he had missed so much, oh yeah, he’s definitely going to be a short-term IR guy. He’s not, so he could be back as soon as possible. He might be ready for September 13th against the Miami Dolphins.”
Thornton was one of the stars of last year’s training camp, but he struggled in the regular season and didn’t show himself to be much more than a lanky speedster with below average hands.
Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter pointed out on Monday that it probably helped Thornton’s cause that he was one of John Spytek’s draft picks.
“They kept six wide receivers, which I told you they would originally. However, I am surprised that Dont’e Thornton made it,” Sports Carpenter said on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast. “They didn’t keep Dorsett and he was better than Dont’e. There were several guys that were [better]… [but Thornton is] a second-year guy and was a Spytek pick.”
Looking ahead, though, there is no guarantee Thornton will be around when the regular season begins.
With the Raiders at the top of the NFL waiver wire now and for the first three weeks of the season, there is a good chance the bottom of the roster still has a few tweaks coming.
x: @raidersbeat
I have a feeling that Thornton purposely went into the tank, hoping to get released so he could get picked up by a different team that he’s probably been courted by.
Put him on the IR for a year. See what you get next year. That’ll open up a roster spot for somebody that deserves it.
Too early to give up on a guy with such promise. Obviously they coaches see potential there. Not hard to see that he made the roster, it’s not like they cut a better candidate just to keep Thornton. That said, he needs to contribute when the opportunity arises.
That’s not Ryan Hoag said. Jackson looked way better than Thornton. Richardson got cut today simply cuz Spytek didn’t him.
This organization doesn’t give a fu** about winning. They care about “my guy”.