Release of Tillery as Telesco's First Move is Telling

The Las Vegas Raiders have decided to release veteran defensive lineman Jerry Tillery. It could be a sign of General Manager Tom Telesco's future plans.

The Las Vegas Raiders are reportedly making roster moves as the new league year begins. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Raiders have decided to move on from veteran defensive tackle Jerry Tillery, who played in all 17 games for the Raiders last season. Tillery joined the Raiders in 2022, registering 41 tackles in 25 games. 

"Raiders informed defensive end Jerry Tillery that they will release [him] when the new league year begins Wednesday, per source," Schefter said.

The correlation from Telesco being the general manager of the then-San Diego Chargers, who drafted Tillery in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and decided to release Tillery from the Chargers before the end of his fourth season with the team, only to now be the general manager of the Raiders and release Tillery as soon as he possibly could, cannot be understated. It speaks volumes for many reasons.

The Las Vegas Raiders have decided to move on from defensive lineman Jerry Tillery / © Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Mainly, it shows Telesco is confident in his intimate knowledge of every player he's drafted, especially if he was sure enough of his player analysis to draft them in the first round and release them from the same team for nothing in return. 

Telesco's decision to release Tillery also shows that he knows when to move on from a mistake he feels that he has made, as he's now decided to move on from the same player two separate times after drafting that player in the first round, so much so that Telesco refused to give a relationship with Tillery a second try for even a second into the new league year of his first season as the Raiders' general manager. 

Knowing when to move on from a player is vital to being a successful general manager in the National Football League, and it was a trait the previous Raiders regime didn't seem to possess.

As the Raiders turn over a new leaf with an essentially remade coaching staff and begin to rebuild their roster, Telesco has already started to put his fingerprints on the organization's future. 

The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently have the No. 13 overall pick.

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