Will the Raiders have any surprise players emerge from training camp to make the 53-man roster?
It’s never too early to guess and according to The Athletic’s Sam Warren, there is an undrafted free agent who hasn’t received a lot of attention to this point but could be a name to watch in August.
“Another name I’d highlight is undrafted free agent Cian Slone,” Warren wrote this week in a mailbag column at The Athletic.
“The pass rusher out of NC State has looked quick during OTAs, and he played with noticeable effort, which Leonard covets. His showing earned him opportunities to play alongside veterans during team periods, while most other undrafted free agents remained working only with rookies,” Warren continued.
“The Raiders let Snowden go earlier in the offseason, opening up a potential roster spot for a pass rusher. If Slone continues to impress during training camp, he’d be a name to watch for on the final 53.”
For what it’s worth, this isn’t the first time Slone has come up as a player the Raiders think a lot of.
Slone part of the reason the Raiders were willing to move on from Tyree Wilson and Charles Snowden?
We know the Raiders considered Slone a priority free agent, and Chat Sports’ host Mitchell Renz thinks the rookie probably factored in the team’s decision to part ways with a couple of veterans.
“[The Raiders] traded away Tyree Wilson, then they released Charles Snowden… for them to do that, you have to at least be confident in somebody on that roster to fill that spot. To me, I think it’s this guy Cian Slone,” Renz said on Chat Sports’ Raiders Report.
“The other thing that’s really telling about [Slone] is he got the most guaranteed money out of all the Raiders’ UDFAs. Money is probably the no. 1 thing I look at when you’re talking about undrafted free agents.”
Prior to the draft, NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein projected Slone to be a “priority free agent” and said the North Carolina State defensive end could develop into a standout on special teams.
“Slone plays with a red-hot urgency that is rarely matched by opponents,” Zierlein said prior to the draft.
“He’s a stand-up edge rusher with good play recognition. He challenges blocks with aggressive first actions but makes hunting the football the priority. While he’s a capable combatant at the point of attack, his lack of range and short-area agility could limit his impact as a playmaker. Slone’s energy and relentlessness fuel his secondary rush but he lacks the skill of a productive NFL rusher. Special-teams standout might be his route to a roster spot.”
x: @raidersbeat