Raiders roster: Curtis Bolton survives cut-down day

One of the under-the-radar names to make the Las Vegas Raiders’ initial 53-man roster this week was veteran Curtis Bolton.

Bolton is not a flashy player, but he just kept showing up on practice tap and in the preseason. Thus, Bolton is entering his second season with the Raiders.

Bolton’s NFL journey has been a long, at times, rough one. Bolton, who turns 28 in December, has played just 15 NFL games with no starts. he played five games with the Detroit Lions in 2021 and he logged 10 games with the Raiders last season.

Spanning 2019-21, Bolton, an undrafted free agent from Oklahoma, spent time with the Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts and San Francisco 49ers before actually making a roster.

Bolton had five tackles for the Raiders last season and he should have a chance to play as a backup and as a special tema player. Bolton recently said that he likes his fit with the Raiders.

“I think they (the Raiders) do things a little differently compared to a lot of other places I’ve been,” Bolton said. “It’s just good to get into year two and be able to put their game plan to work and try to get the young guys come along and see where we take it this year ... I think we work a lot more on drill work. I think they’re a lot more focused on the little things. I think they’re a lot big on turnovers. I’ve never been somewhere that forced turnovers on special teams. I think that’s a spot here, and I think we’re rolling through with that, just putting it on a tape and we’re seeing that.”

As he prepares for his second season with the franchise he grew up in Southern California rooting for, Bolton said sticking to the fundamentals that helped him make the squad is key.

“Just the little things, keeping my technique right, my eyes right,” Bolton said. “Just coming in trying to get better every day, and I think I put an emphasis on that, and I’m happy with my progress through camp.”

Clearly, the Raiders are pleased with his progress as well.