Why Did the Raiders Cut Cian Slone? Inside the Shocking 53-Man Roster Snub
By Elena Rostova
Every August cut involves a calculated risk: can an exposed player clear the 24-hour waiver claiming window unnoticed? When the Raiders placed Slone on waivers, front office executives bet that rival teams lacked enough game tape to claim him directly onto their active 53-man rosters. Claiming a player off waivers requires a team to immediately grant that player an active roster spot and assume their contract, a steep price for an undrafted rookie.
The practice squad remains an invaluable incubator for raw talents who need weight-room development. By waiving Slone and offering him a practice squad slot upon clearing, the Raiders aimed to keep his edge-rushing upside in-house without burning an active roster space on game days. However, this strategy is fraught with danger. Teams picking high in the waiver order frequently churn the bottom five spots of their rosters, targeting young edge rushers with high pass-rush win rates.
Elena Rostova holds a Master's degree in Public Health Journalism. She covers groundbreaking medical research, holistic wellness trends, mental health awareness, and nutritional science.
