Veteran QB among final cuts by Raiders — FULL LIST

The Raiders trimmed their roster to the NFL’s 53-player limit Tuesday.

Most cuts they made were expected. There were some mild surprises, like the decision to move on from defensive tackle Matthew Butler and wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson. They also cut Nathan Peterman and Carter Bradley, leaving them with just two quarterbacks on their roster. Bradley is a prime candidate to return on the Raiders’ 16-player practice squad.

“Things can always change, but right now we’re looking at probably two on the active roster and one on the practice squad,” general manager Tom Telesco said.

Other players the Raiders waived included:

— Defensive end David Agoha

— Guard Clark Barrington

— Guard Ben Brown

— Running back Brittain Brown

— Wide receiver Terrell Bynum

— Offensive tackle Andrew Coker

— Tight end Cole Fotheringham

— Defensive end T.J. Franklin

— Cornerback Woo Governor

— Safety Jaydon Grant

— Wide receiver Tulu Griffin

— Offensive lineman Corey Luciano

— Defensive tackle Marquan McCall

— Running back Sincere McCormick

— Offensive tackle Jalen McKenzie

— Wide receiver Dax Milne

— Linebacker Jackson Mitchell

— Center Will Putnam

— Safety Phalen Sanford

— Defensive tackle Noah Shannon

— Tight end John Samuel Shenker

— Cornerback Ja’Quan Sheppard

— Defensive end Elerson Smith

— Defensive end Charles Snowden

— Defensive end Ron Stone Jr.

— Offensive tackle Dalton Wagner

— Cornerback Sam Webb

— Linebacker DeShaun White

— Cornerback Rayshad Williams

The team also released cornerback Cornell Armstrong, wide receiver Alex Bachman, tight end Zach Gentry and wide receiver Jalen Guyton.

Rookie safety Trey Taylor, a seventh-round pick, will begin the season on injured reserve and will be eligible to return during the season. The other seven members of the Raiders’ 2024 draft class all made the initial 53-man roster.

The team created room for rookie undrafted free agent wide receiver Ramel Keyton and former Canadian Football League standout Tyreik McAllister by parting ways with Guyton and Wilkerson. Keyton and McAllister, who is transitioning from running back to receiver, both had solid training camps.

“Both of them kind of showed slow and steady improvement,” Telesco said. “That’s kind of what it is when you’re coming into the league as a young player. But you saw from the beginning of (organized team activities) to the last preseason game that there’s some skill there to work with.”

The Raiders kept seven linebackers on their initial roster, including undrafted free agent Amari Gainer. They kept just five last season.

The NFL’s new kickoff rules played a part in the increase since linebackers are often important coverage players. One or two of the players on the initial roster could also be cut soon if the Raiders find someone they like on the waiver wire.

The team spent a good part of Tuesday tracking roster cuts around the league for possible additions.

“We’ve done a lot of work leading up to this as far as having reports on everybody,” Telesco said. “We’ll see who’s out there and maybe can strengthen us.”

One position of focus for the Raiders is cornerback.

Veteran backup Brandon Facyson wasn’t cut Tuesday despite not practicing for more than three weeks with an undisclosed injury. He did return to practice Tuesday night, but the only other corners on the Raiders’ roster besides Facyson and starters Nate Hobbs, Jack Jones and Jakorian Bennett are rookies Decamerion Richardson and M.J. Devonshire.

“Brandon has shown he’s been a starting-level corner in this league,” Telesco said. “He’s just had a tough run of luck the last couple of weeks. But when healthy, he’s been a really good player.”

Facyson’s return was good news for the Raiders, though the team could still look outside its building to see if it can find help before its Sept. 8 opener against the Chargers.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.