Report: Raiders releasing Michael Crabtree

The release that has been contemplated for months and reported as potentially happening for the past 24 hours is now happening. The Raiders are releasing wide receiver Michael Crabtree. This according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The idea that the Raiders may be releasing Crabtree heated up when the team began showing considerable interest in signing former Packers wide receiver, Jordy Nelson. As of early Thursday, the reports were that should the Raiders sign Nelson, Crabtree would be cut.

Whether this means for certain that Nelson has been signed it not yet known, though it does seem highly likely that these two transactions go together.

Crabtree has spent the past three seasons in Oakland after coming over from the 49ers in 2015. In his time in Oakland, Crabtree caught 232 passes for 2543 yards and 25 touchdowns, including his 1000-yard 2016 season (1003).

Cutting Crabtree frees up $7.7 million in cap space for the Raiders.