The Raiders promoted wide receiver Rico Gafford to the active roster and released offensive lineman Erik Magnuson to clear the spot on the 53-man roster, according to Paul Gutierrez of ESPN. Oakland, of course, recently will be missing slot receiver Hunter Renfrow while he recovers from a rib injury and decided to add Gafford to help supplement their receiving corp.
Before joining the Raiders, Gafford was a defensive back. He bounced between two junior colleges before landing at Wyoming prior to going pro last year. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Titans, but was released at the end of training camp. The Raiders signed him a couple days later to their practice squad and soon announced a position change to wide receiver. Last season, Gafford was briefly promoted to Oakland’s 53-man roster and appeared in one game on special teams. This season, Gafford once again failed to make a roster at the end of the preseason, but was resigned to the Raiders practice squad.
With Renfrow out, the Raiders have limited experience in the rest of their wide receivers. Gafford will likely start at the bottom of the depth chart, primarily playing on special teams, but he may have an opportunity to earn his way into the rotation.
Magnuson was signed as an undrafted free agent by the 49ers in 2017. He made the team’s active roster and appeared in 8 games (3 starts) from 2017-2018. San Francisco waived Magnuson early this preseason, but was eventually signed to the Bills practice squad, where the Raiders signed him from on October 30th. With experience at center, guard, and tackle, Magnuson should receive other opportunities to provide depth along a team’s front.