Part of what the NFL preseason is about is giving players on the roster bubble a chance to take center stage and make a name for themselves. That always includes several rookie undrafted free agents fighting to be one of the 53 men left standing at the end of training camp. The morning after the Las Vegas Raiders' bout with the Arizona Cardinals, head coach Klint Kubiak was asked which UDFAs have stood out to him so far. Kubiak named three players: edge rusher Cian Slone and wide receivers Chase Roberts and E.J. Williams.
"Cian [Slone] on defense has done some good stuff," the coach said. "[At] the wide receiver position – we've got a few guys that have showed up between Chase [Roberts] and our and our young man from Indiana [E.J. Williams Jr.]. They got some good snaps [Thursday]. Overall, those are the kind of guys that come to mind."
To clarify, the question wasn't specific to the Raiders' first preseason game, so Kubiak was likely speaking more generally and about training camp as a whole. But all three did suit up and play against the Cardinals.
Slone had a sack with a nice win around the edge and a couple of tackles against the run, while Williams hauled in a 41-yard catch that was Las Vegas' second-most explosive play of the game. Roberts was quieter with just two targets, catching one of them for a 12-yard gain and dropping the other. As far as snap counts go, Pro Football Focus had Slone getting 21 on defense with Roberts recording 14 on offense and Williams with just seven.
So, it sounds like those three are doing all the right things in camp to help their chances of making the team, as getting a shoutout from the head coach is a big accomplishment at this stage.
Fernando Mendoza to get 1st team reps: "Friday morning, Kubiak said the coaching staff is working on a plan to get Mendoza more practice reps with the first-team offense," S&BP's Bill Williamson wrote. "He did note that it's important that all of the team's quarterbacks get work with the first team. But it's clear, Kubiak thinks Mendoza is ready for more challenges."
Treydan Stukes isn't a run-of-the-mill safety: "It's no secret that Stukes had a slow start to camp where he was relegated to second- and even third-team snaps," via S&BP's Ray Aspuria . "He's ramped up first-team looks as of late but that shouldn't be surprising. His hybrid role of nickel and safety positions is complex but he's gaining confidence."
Dont'e Thornton Jr. expected to return: The wide receiver has missed several practices and the first preseason game with an injury, but Kubiak said he expects Thornton to return at some point during the preseason, via ESPN's Ryan McFadden .
Mysterious absence explained: Cornerback Decamerion Richardson surprisingly didn't play on Thursday night, but it was for a good reason. Kubiak said Richardson had a baby, according to The Athletic's Sam Warren . Congrats to the Richardsons!
