SATURDAY, 3:47pm: Oakland made the move to place Hayden on IR, replacing the fourth-year corner on their active roster with defensive lineman Branden Jackson, according to Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com. A rookie UDFA from Texas Tech, Jackson has not played this season.
FRIDAY, 2:47pm: D.J. Hayden‘s season is over. The Raiders announced that they will place the cornerback on injured reserve. 
Hayden suffered a hamstring injury during Sunday’s victory over the Panthers. Now, Oakland will move forward without its No. 3 cornerback. In his place, T.J. Carrie will probably see an increase in playing time.
With Sean Smith David Amerson, Dexter McDonald, and Antonio Hamilton already on the roster, the team may not need to add another cornerback. Amerson missed Week 12 with a knee injury, but he appears on track to play this weekend.
Hayden is currently ranked as the 100th best cornerback in the NFL out of 120 qualified players, per Pro Football Focus. He has poor grades for both coverage and run defense, but he has a better-than-average pass rush grade. He has been on the field for 476 snaps this year, which is significantly higher than Carrie’s total to date.
In May, the Raiders declined Hayden’s fifth-year option. Instead of earning $8.03MM in 2017, Hayden will be eligible for free agency.
Hayden has never played an entire season. It’s time to cut the apron strings and let him go. 100th best out of 120? Nuff said.
Bye Felicia!