The Raiders are where they need to be, at 75 players. They
got there by cutting six guys Tuesday – wide receivers Burl Toler and Rick
Gatewood, quarterback Kent Smith, tight end Derek Miller and cornerback Dennis
Davis – and placing four players on injured reserve – fullback Joe Hall,
linebacker Timi Wusu, running back DeJuan Green and defensive tackle Michael
Quarshie.

Those 10 joined six players cut the previous day: tight end
Marcellus Rivers, quarterback Reggie Robertson, guard Rod Green, cornerback Raymond
Washington, kicker David Kimball and punter Glenn Pakulak.

There were no bombshells in this round, no respected
veterans sent packing early so they could increase their chances of latching on
with another team. If there was a surprise, it was Rivers. He didn’t stand out
much during training camp or in the preseason games, but he seemed a viable
candidate for a backup tight end position, if only because of his prototypical
size (6-4, 250) and five years of NFL experience.

The sentimental pick may have been Toler, a gregarious
athlete who played at Cal
and never stopped smiling on the practice field. Toler’s father and
grandfather, Burl and Burl, showed up at camp to observe one day. Burl Jr. also
played at Cal, and now works for an
architectural firm in the East
Bay. Burl Sr. was an
All-American at USF and the first African-American game official in the NFL; he
officiated three Super Bowls. Burl III won’t be at a loss if his NFL hopes
don’t pan out. Hid dad says he’s already done some student teaching and is on
his way to a teaching career.

It’s always interesting to see who winds up on injured
reserve this time of year. Teams often stash players they’d like to keep off
the market, though they don’t have immediate room on their 53-man rosters. Wusu
(groin) and Quarshie (knee) have fairly significant injuries. Green was a
little banged up. And Hall? There had been no word of an injury to the
280-pound fullback, and he looked all right walking around the locker room
Tuesday.

The Raiders must cut another 22 players by Saturday.