#5 Kenyan Drake (running back)
Believe it or not, Kenyan Drake isn’t the only running back on this list, and his $8.2 million contract isn’t sounding like that great of an idea right now. Now, that doesn’t mean Drake’s time in Las Vegas was disastrous; he just failed to make the impact the team needed. Furthermore, the Raiders were forced to rely on the passing game, making his presence there pretty much a nonfactor all season. There were glimpses of brilliance, but nothing worth keeping.
In 63 attempts, Jacobs racked up 254 yards, two touchdowns, and an average gain of four yards per carry. Add in his injuries, and you can kind of see where it would make sense to get rid of him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FjQjqSG4Ag
#4 Corey Littleton (linebacker)
Will Cory Littleton be a cap casualty for the Las Vegas Raiders? That is the question the entire NFL is asking after the man that was once predicted to be the new face of the defense went down in snap counts from 2019-to 2022. He also reportedly gave up way too many yards by being out of position on plays, and his injury issues haven’t helped either. He’s just not performing at the level he was back in 2018, and that’s what the Raiders paid him to do.
According to Brad Spielberger of ProFootballfocus.com, “The Raiders continued to add to the off-ball linebacker position in the 2021 offseason after signing Littleton to a three-year, $35.25 million deal in 2020. The Raiders traded for Denzel Perryman before the season began, and he played his way into a Pro Bowl nod. Meanwhile, Littleton earned his second consecutive season grade below 50.0.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxWjyDW2EVY
#3 Carl Nassib (defensive end)
As described in various articles throughout the internet, Carl Nassib is simply a victim of being a part of the old regime. He has also shown himself to be somewhat injury-prone, making him more of a risk than a benefit. Between those two things and the hefty price required to keep him around, you could legitimately imagine the Las Vegas Raiders wanting to part ways with him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWwC_OjCwOw
#2 Josh Jacobs (running back)
While it is disappointing to know that Joshua Jacobs is even an option to be cut, it's not like we don't know what this is about. Jacobs has already proved to be injury-prone, and that's not something the Las Vegas Raiders are going to want going forward. They already have to rely on the passing game almost exclusively, leaving little reason why they should keep Jacobs. Add in the new head coach, staff, and general manager, and you can see why this young man could be on the chopping block. Keeping him another season and watching the running game sputter again would just be too much of a risk for this management. If they do give him another chance, he will have to take a pay cut.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnlxWfeQAJA
#1 Marcus Mariota (back-up quarterback)
It's no secret that Marcus Mariota is never going to see playing time with the Las Vegas Raiders as long as Derek Carr is there, and his heavy back-end contract isn't very appealing either. Unfortunately for Mariota and his fans, that means he will likely be dealt somewhere else for a draft pick or a defensive player.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79yYUxpS1bM