It finally happened. The Las Vegas Raiders have moved on from Alex Leatherwood after just one year with the Silver and Black. To be fair, the brain trust currently in power did not draft the former Alabama product. It’s a strange twist when you consider that the two primary hopefuls for the Raiders’ right tackle starting job are now gone. Leatherwood was waived and Brandon Parker is now on injured reserve, quite the development.
They tried to trade him to eveyone. Got 32 nos. https://t.co/2BwfIyZs4H
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 30, 2022
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the Raiders were attempting to trade Leatherwood initially. In fact, he reported that they made inquiries to every single NFL team. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network broke the news less than an hour ago as did fellow insider Adam Schefter. There was also word circulating on the internet that at least one of the teams wanted a draft pick along with Leatherwood for a player not officially named by the Raiders. Leatherwood’s release caps off a rough offseason for the former first-round pick.
The Raiders have moved on from Alex Leatherwood after just one year
Leatherwood had reportedly done a good job of getting into shape ahead of training camp, sharing his progress via social media. However, any progress or impression he had made on the coaching staff evaporated during the preseason. He was simply outclassed each week, with the bottom falling out in the last two contests.
The interesting thing about Leatherwood is that he’ll land on his feet soon. If there’s one notable strength to his game, it’s his run blocking. He’s still a mauler in the run game, and anyone with a run-heavy scheme could use his services. Don’t be surprised if Leatherwood turns into a serviceable NFL guard for another team in the near future.
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*Top Photo: Associated Press/Rick Scuteri