Once teams make their cuts to get down to the 53-man roster limit, they must all then wait to see which players will clear waivers. Often times this leads to players who were released returning to the team via the practice squad, and that was certainly the case with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Released players such as McClendon Curtis, Matthew Butler, Sincere McCormick, Tyler Hall, Sam Webb and Jaydon Grant were some of the players who the Raiders cut but were brought back on the practice squad. But the team was also able to bring in players who weren’t in camp as well with one in particular having some major experience in the NFL already.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Raiders have signed former New Orleans Saints wide receiver Marquez Callaway to the practice squad:
Free agent receiver Marquez Callaway will be signing with the #Raiders practice squad, per source. Waived by Denver this week, Callaway had 1,069 yards and seven touchdowns with the New Orleans since 2020.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) August 31, 2023
While Callaway may not be the biggest name, he has already shown he can be a contributor at the NFL level. The undrafted free agent spent three seasons with the Saints and was in camp with the Denver Broncos this summer but was released during the final cuts. Now he hopes to catch on and potentially contribute to the Raiders.
In his three-year career so far Callaway has totaled 83 receptions for 1,069 yards and seven touchdowns. Callaway’s best season was in 2021 when he grabbed 46 catches for 698 yards and six touchdowns while ranking in the top 10 in yards per reception.
Callaway could provide the Raiders with some depth at the wide receiver position. The starters are set in stone with Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow and Jakobi Meyers, but beyond them, it starts to get a little questionable. DeAndre Carter was solid last year with the Chargers, but is no sure thing while Kristian Wilkerson hasn’t played since 2021 and has appeared in just four games since coming into the league in 2020. Rookie Tre Tucker is no sure thing to contribute either so Callaway could come in handy at some point.
For the Raiders it is a chance to develop a player who is already known to have tools that can allow him to make an impact in the league. Under Josh McDaniels, the hope is that he will reach that level once again.
