Once the clock struck all zeroes on the Las Vegas Raiders' preseason Week 3 game versus the San Francisco 49ers, it was immediately time to turn their attention to making final cuts.
The deadline for teams to trim their rosters down to 53 comes on Tuesday, Aug. 27, at 4 p.m. ET, but we could begin seeing some cuts in the days leading up to that.
Friday night served as the final opportunity for players who are on the bubble to state their case, and they all had ample opportunity thanks to the starters not playing the entire game.
Here's a look at four players who helped their cause the most in the preseason finale against the Niners on Friday night.
Raiders on the bubble who helped their cause
WR Tyreik McAllister
McAllister stole the show on Friday night. Not only did he have an 81-yard punt return for a touchdown, he also caught a 35-yard touchdown pass and finished with the second-most receiving yards on the team with 56. He definitely caught the attention of head coach Antonio Pierce.
“He’s got some juice, right?” Pierce said of the wide receiver. “Came from the CFL and played running back, never played wide receiver, you can see that transition into the offseason program.”
“We’ve been seeing it in practice, but today he took it to another level. Took one to the crib and a hell of a catch and adjustment on the reception. And even just covering kicks. He moved the needle tonight.”
With all the uncertainty for the last few spots on the Raiders' depth chart at wide receiver, McAllister might have punched his ticket to the 53-man roster.
DE Charles Snowden
Snowden was unstoppable in the first half against the Niners, tallying three tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, one pass defensed and three quarterback hits. After the former undrafted free agent spent some time on the Raiders' practice squad last season, Snowden might begin the 2024 campaign on the 53-man roster.
WR Ramel Keyton
It might be too little too late for Keyton, but he was one of the few offensive players who really made a strong case to make the cut on Friday night.
Keyton reeled-in team-highs in catches (four) and yards (76) and played a pivotal role in the Raiders' last offensive drive of the game that saw them tie it up. He also displayed his impressive hands by bringing in a catch with one hand.
If nothing else, Keyton should end up on the practice squad.
LB Amari Gainer
Gainer had already flashed during the preseason but might've saved his best for last, as he was arguably the biggest standout on defense aside from Snowden.
The undrafted free agent, who had posted top-five Pro Football Focus defensive grades in each of the first two exhibition contests, including the second-highest in preseason Week 1, had a team-high 13 tackles, with two going for a loss. He also called the defense, Pierce revealed after the game.
More from preseason Week 3
Raiders' biggest winners and losers
Raiders 53-man prediction after preseason finale
