The Raiders are releasing safety Johnathan Abram, a former first-round pick, after failing to deal him ahead of last week’s trade deadline, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Abram, the No. 27 pick in the 2019 draft, was in the final year of his rookie contract after Las Vegas decided not to exercise the fifth-year option on his deal this offseason. He’s due a little over $1 million in base salary for the remainder of 2022.
The 26-year-old will now head to waivers, where all of the league’s 31 other teams will have to a chance to claim him.
Abram joined the Raiders out of Mississippi State, where he starred in the secondary and was named a third-team All-American in his senior season. However, he never quite met the high expectations set out for him in the NFL, racking up 255 total tackles and three interceptions across four years with Vegas.
With his release Tuesday, Abram becomes just the latest Raiders draft pick to depart the organization in recent years. He is the team’s fourth first-rounder since 2019 to be cut, alongside Henry Ruggs III (’20), Damon Arnette (’20) and Alex Leatherwood (’21). Clelin Ferrell and Josh Jacobs, who were also chosen in the first round in the ’19 draft, both had their fifth-year options declined before the start of the season.
Through eight games, the Raiders are 2–6 under first-year coach Josh McDaniels.
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