Two Raiders Gave Antonio Pierce Plenty To Look At As Roster Cuts Loom

The Las Vegas Raiders will cut down their roster to the official 53-man on Tuesday. Two players in particular had strong showings during Friday's preseason finale. Was it enough?

Aug 17, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce at the start of the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports / Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

The Las Vegas Raiders finished their preseason slate on Friday night and can look ahead to the regular season. There is a mix of certainty and curiosity with the roster set to be cut down to 53 on Tuesday.

With the Raiders' strong showing in their preseason finale, a 24-24 tie with the San Fransisco 49ers, a handful of players showed out with strong performances.

One worth noting was Tyreik McAllister, wide receiver and return man who had an 81-yard punt return touchdown as well as several big plays throughout the night. Wide receiver Ramel Keyton made big-time catches late in the game, most notably on the Raiders' late-fourth quarter drive.

"Me and Tom are going to sit there and pound some tape away and brainstorm and put some names up there and just look at it," said Raiders coach Antonio Pierce. "It's tough. It's not easy cutting 37 men and tell them they got to find somewhere else to play or whatever it may be. Nature of the beast, and we'll evaluate over the next 48 hours."

A standout on the defensive side of the ball was rookie linebacker Amari Gainer, an undrafted free agent from North Carolina. Gainer was given the green dot. He managed the defense effectively, handling the responsibility. Gainer made 12 total tackles, two for a loss. Pierce, a former NFL linebacker, was impressed.

"I thought Amari did a really good job," Pierce said. "Listen, you've got an opportunity, you make the most of it. ... He stuck in there to the very end and called the defense tonight. First time he's done that as well. Just some bright spots and things he can learn from as well. That was good to see."

Gainer took inspiration from his former linebacker head coach.

"Top linebacker in his time – big, long, flies around, he made plays," Gainer said. "That's the kind of linebacker I want to be. He's been a great leader to all of us to make sure we're our best selves everyday and to strive for greatness."

Of McAllister, Pierce had plenty of praise.

"I thought he did a hell of a job just in training camp, just quietly," Pierce said. "If you really think about that Minnesota game, he popped one there. We've been seeing it in practice, but today he took it to another level, took one to the crib, and hell of a catch and adjustment there on a reception. Then even just covering kicks. He moved the needle tonight."

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