For quite a few years now, many Raider fans have thought that Sam Williams’ time with the Raiders would come to an end. Well, from the looks of things, this year could just be that year.
Recently the Raiders coaching staff said they were going to be keeping seven line backers on the teams heading into the season. The starters look to be MLB Kirk Morrison, WLB Thomas Howard and Jon Alston. The team also clearly has plans for Isaiah Ekejiuba and Ricky Brown based on the fact that both were given nice salaries to be brought back.
That just leaves Sam Williams, Slade Norris and undrafted FAs David Nixon and Frantz Joseph competing for the final two spots.
Slade Norris, a fourth round pick, would have to really look horrible and pull a Quentin Moses not to make this team. If he were cut he would most certainly be claimed quickly from the waiver wire without sniffing the practice squad.
Nixon and Joseph are both eligible for the Raiders practice squad and would appear to be ideal candidates being that they went udrafted. In Joseph’s case though, he was the second leading tackler in the nation last year and garnered a considerable amount of interest from other teams immediately following the draft. He too would be unlikely to make it through waivers unclaimed. Not only that but, he has been a tackling machine in camp and his grit and heart have made him a very popular player among the fans and coaches.
Nixon has done nothing but impress coaches in camp thus far and is in position for a sure invite to the practice squad. But even without Nixon, those seven linebacker spots are already filled.
Which, plainly put, leaves Sam Williams as the odd man out. So barring injury in training camp or preseason, it would seem that Sam Williams’ scholarship may have finally run out in Oakland.
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