Raiders Cut QB Tyler Wilson, Punter Chris Kluwe, Add Two Defensemen
By JL Herrera
The Oakland Raiders cut Tyler Wilson, fourth-round pick, and punter Chris Kluwe, who was picked up from the Vikings during the off-season on Sunday.
It was reported that Wilson and Kluwe had remained on the roster after Coach Dennis Allen had decided to go with four quarterbacks and two punters on Saturday for the 53-man roster.
As it turns out, the Raiders changed their minds and let go of Wilson and Kluwe on Sunday for two defensive players that were picked up from the waivers, defensive tackle Brian Sanford and guard Antoine McClain.
The decision by the Raiders seems to be a wise one, since Oakland needs a lot of improvement on the defensive line. Having too many quarterbacks and punters was already a questionable decision that Allen had made.
However, letting go of rookie, fourth-round pick Tyler Wilson was also questionable decision on Coach Allen's part, and it makes GM Reggie McKenzie look like he did not do his job during the draft back in April.
That fourth-round pick could have been used on another defender, so it's really too bad Wilson did not live up to his expectations. As for the Raiders, they better hope that the remaining three quarterbacks do their jobs.
Now, Terrelle Pryor, Matt Flynn, and Matthew McGloin will wait for their coach to announce the starting quarterback. It is expected that Coach Allen will make his decision by the end of the week, after seeing who performs the best at practice.
Matthew McGloin is the least likely to be on the radar for Coach Dennis Allen. McGloin did overcome Tyler Wilson, but did not get the crowd going like Pryor did.
Pryor and Flynn have been under the spotlight more than McGloin; however, Pryor has the advantage for having the most points in preseason.
The other sad story is Kluwe, who was picked up from the Minnesota Vikings during the off-season. In the end, he was outplayed by punter Marquette King. It was reported that Kluwe sent King a tweet to congratulate the punter on the accomplishment.
Kluwe, who is known for being an activist for gay rights, was out-punted byKing, even though Kluwe was a better holder and had better accuracy.
Kluwe and Wilson will most likely get picked up by other teams to at least participate in practice squads.
Will it affect the game?
These cuts will not affect the first game of the 2013 NFL season against the Indianapolis Colts for the Oakland Raiders.
The only danger is Marquette King slipping his grasp on the football, like he did at the first preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys, causing Sebastian Janikowski from missing a kick.
The Oakland Raiders have bigger worries than Wilson and Kluwe being gone from the Silver-and-Black roster. For instance, the defensive line, which has been giving up major points in the preseason.
In hopes for the Raiders, the two defensive players picked up from the waivers, Brian Sanford and Antoine McClain, will add to the wall and give Oakland a better defense.
Now, Silver and Black fans will have to wait on news to see who gets to be the starting quarterback against the Colts.
For more news and updates, visit Oakland Raiders central.
