Las Vegas Raiders make a few roster moves just before they kick off their 2026 season against the Miami Dolphins
The Las Vegas Raiders made some roster moves to their practice squad, and they’re some pretty good moves all things considered.
The Las Vegas Raiders are almost ready for their 2026 season opener against the Miami Dolphins. So, they’ve made some roster moves to get the week started. And these roster moves aren’t anything that really move the needle, per se. But they could be better for the long run of the season.
According to the Raiders’ PR team, they signed defensive tackle Tim Keenan II and tight end Patrick Gurd to the practice squad. However, in corresponding moves, they released UDFA defensive tackle Gary Smith III and safety Devin Lafayette from the practice squad. As we said, these moves don’t move the needle by any means. But these could be big-time moves for the practice squad when it comes to the duration of the entire season.
The Raiders made the right decision in swapping defensive tackles on the practice squad
Gary Smith III made his mark as a nose tackle at UCLA from 2022 to 2025 after transferring from Duke. Over his time with the Bruins, he appeared in 31 games and started 16. However, he sat out the entire 2024 season with a lower-leg and ankle injury. In 2025, Smith started all 12 games, recording 39 tackles (18 solo, 21 assisted), along with 1.5 tackles for loss and half a sack.
He led all UCLA defensive linemen in tackles that year, highlighted by a standout performance against Northwestern with a career-high seven tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 0.5 sacks. Altogether, he tallied 79 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks in his UCLA career. Including his two years at Duke, Smith finished his college career with 50 games played (25 starts), 111 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks.
Tim Keenan III held down the nose tackle and defensive tackle spots at Alabama from 2021 to 2025, appearing in 41 games with 37 starts. He put up 95 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks during his college career. Both Smith and Keenan play a position that’s a real area of need for the Raiders. The team is in serious need of a true nose tackle. Smith joined the league as an undrafted free agent, while Keenan was selected in the seventh round—about where most scouts and analysts expected him to go as a Day 3 pick. This is a good swap out.
