The Las Vegas Raiders had an unexpected opening in their WR depth chart.
Amari Cooper retired on Thursday, surprising the NFL just nine days after he had signed to return to the team that drafted him.
That meant the Raiders had a roster spot to play with, and they used it to bring on a wide receiver replacement for Cooper.
It's a guy the Raiders already know well: They've signed Justin Shorter from their practice squad, per NFL Network.
Shorter was a fifth-round pick by the Buffalo Bills in the 2023 NFL Draft.
He never got to play in the regular season for the Bills, though. He was injured and missed the entirety of the 2023 season.
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Last summer, Shorter was cut by the Bills during roster downsizing. The Raiders brought him onto their practice squad at that point.
Shorter made it onto the active roster for 10 games in 2024, with most of his action coming as a special teams player.
He did make three catches in the preseason in August this year.
Now he'll try to contribute wherever he can.
Shorter won't be expected to get a lot of offensive action in Week 1 against the Patriots.
The Raiders have a first-string WR trio of Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker and Dont'e Thornton. Rookie Jack Bech is also ahead on the depth chart for sure.
But there's probably a chance for Shorter to get onto the field for special teams work, at least, and if he plays well, he might be able to stick around the active roster for much of the season.
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