Will Raiders release Trent Brown?

Now that the Super Bowl is over, it will soon be cutting season in the NFL as teams work to adjust to the salary cap.

The Las Vegas Raiders will surely be busy in the coming weeks as they decide who to cut and who to keep. Among the potential cut candidates are wide receiver Tyrell Williams, defensive back Lamarcus Joyner, quarterback Marcus Mariota and right tackle Trent Brown.

Brown would be the biggest name on the cut list and it is my understanding that the Raiders are still deciding what to do there. It would not cost Las Vegas any dead salary-cap money if they do jettison Brown.

But the Raiders have to weigh his talent and what he actually has given the team. Brown missed 11 games in 2020, and he has missed 16 of 32 games since signing four-year, $66 million deal with the Raiders 23 months ago.

Shortly before the end of the season, Raiders coach Jon Gruden acknowledged that Brown’s ability to stay healthy was frustrating. I also get the sense that the Raiders may not have loved Brown’s practice habits ... they want players who love football every day.

Still, Brown is a top-tier right tackle and he changes the Raiders’ offensive line when he is on the field. If they do cut him, they will have another hole on the roster that will need to be filled.

So, in the end, the Raiders are going to decide if Brown’s talent outweighs his penchant for missing games. We should get our answer within a few weeks.