Oakland Raiders Officially Waive Rolando McClain

In a move that has been a long time coming, the Oakland Raiders have officially released embattled linebacker Rolando McClain. The former top 10 pick for the Raiders has recently run into some problems both on and off the field, and the writing has been on the wall for sometime, the only question was when would Oakland actually get around to cutting McClain?

Well, it appears as though that day has finally come, and while he had his struggles with the team in the past, McClain isn’t burning any bridges on his way out of the Bay Area. McClain released a statement following his release, thanking the Raiders for giving him a chance to play in the NFL.

"“I’d like to thank the Raiders for giving me an opportunity to play in the NFL.  I’m disappointed that it hasn’t worked out better, but I’m very excited and thankful for the Raiders allowing me to get a fresh start. I will miss my teammates and wish them and the Raiders organization good luck going forward.”– Rolando McClain"

McClain’s release comes at a time when new Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie is purging himself of former top-10 draft picks selected by the late Al Davis. McClain follows Michael Huff and Darrius Heyward-Bey were both cut this offseason and the Raiders have moved on from high-priced acquisitions like Richard Seymour and Carson Palmer as well.

McClain still might have something left in the tank, as he’s still only 23 years old and showed fierce promise in his first year with the Raiders. The former Alabama Crimson Tide project is going to garner interest, but it is yet to be seen whether or not teams will look past his notable off-field antics in order to try and develop a guy that could turn into a great linebacker down the road.