The Oakland Raiders have already begun to release players ahead of Saturday's deadline. On Friday, Hard Knocks star Luke Willson was released.
Throughout this year's series of Hard Knocks, Willson has prominently made his name be known with the amount of screen time he has gotten. Fans of the show and of the Raiders will be disappointed to see that the tight end will no longer be with the team in the regular season.
Willson began his career with the Seattle Seahawks as a fifth-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft out of Rice. In his first two seasons in Seattle, the veteran tight end combined for 42 receptions, 634 yards, and four touchdowns.
The pass-catching tight end would spend five seasons with the Seahawks; where he ended up winning a Super Bowl with the team in 2013. Last season, Willson spent the entire season with the Detroit Lions but was used sparingly in the offense.
Altogether in 2018, Willson had career-lows across the board with just 13 catches for 87 yards and no touchdowns. It was the only time in his career that Willson failed to catch a touchdown in any season.
After being released by the Raiders, it's hard to believe that Willson couldn't find another roster to join ahead of the regular season. The tight end will likely hold workouts with teams while they continue to trim their rosters.
With that being said, would it surprise anyone if someone like the New England Patriots take a shot at Willson?