The Raiders’ first wave of roster cuts brought plenty of movement, but one of the more telling decisions came at defensive end. Las Vegas waived undrafted rookie Cian Slone, a move that does more than trim the edge-rush room - it may also say something about Patrick Johnson and Keyron Crawford.
Slone had entered the spring as the highest-paid player in the Raiders’ UDFA class, so seeing him among the early cuts was a surprise. He also flashed enough in the preseason to make the decision feel less straightforward, which is why the possibility of him landing on the practice squad still exists. Even so, after two strong exhibition outings, that path doesn’t look especially easy.
The final preseason game appears to have swung things. Slone’s performance there was uneven, and Johnson kept stacking positive reps.
The veteran, who joined at the 11th hour, was described as outright dominant in all three preseason games on defense and special teams. That kind of steady production matters when a roster squeeze hits.
And make no mistake, the squeeze was real. Behind Maxx Crosby, Malcolm Koonce, Kwity Paye and Crawford, the Raiders were dealing with a tight battle between Slone and Johnson. They couldn’t realistically keep both, and Crawford’s injury in the finale complicated the picture even further.
If Crawford had been headed for a long absence, or even placed on short-term IR, Las Vegas would have had room to hold onto both edge defenders. Instead, waiving Slone suggests the Raiders believe Johnson is the better bet right now. It also says plenty about how much the staff values special teams, since Johnson was stronger there as well.
There’s another layer here, too. If Crawford were facing a major setback, it would make sense for the Raiders to hold off on cutting Slone so quickly.
That hasn’t happened. Klint Kubiak didn’t have much to share about the rookie’s injury, and no official update has clarified the situation.
Nothing has been decided.
Still, the timing of the move leaves open a more encouraging possibility for Raider Nation: Crawford’s injury may not be severe. The rookie is expected to be a rotational pass-rusher, and he had his best preseason game in the finale against the San Francisco 49ers before leaving with the ankle injury.
Of course, Las Vegas could still place Crawford on short-term or season-ending IR and bring in an edge rusher from outside the building. In this stretch, just about anything remains possible. But for now, Slone being waived this early looks like a meaningful vote of confidence in Johnson and a potentially positive sign for Crawford.
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