The Las Vegas Raiders' roster and practice squad have been a revolving door since John Spytek and Pete Carroll took over in January. The new leadership duo continues to tinker with the players in the building until they find the right combination, inspired by the veteran coach's motto of competing.
Sometimes, that means looking outside the building for talent, like the acquisition of Tyler Lockett during the bye week. Other times, it means trading away a valuable player like Jakobi Meyers for future draft capital. On Tuesday, it meant waiving young safety Chris Smith II.
Smith was a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler regime, and he lasted through two changes of the guard in Las Vegas. But, despite his resilience in staying on the 53-man team, he never carved out more than a special teams role.
Chris Smith II claimed by Rams just one day after Raiders release
He was a valuable contributor to the often-forgotten third component of professional football, but with both Lonnie Johnson Jr. and Aidan O'Connell returning from the Injured Reserve, and Smith falling behind Tristin McCollum in the pecking order at safety, the writing was on the wall.
Most expected that, based on his limited defensive reps and status as a former Day 3 pick, Smith would not have much of a market for himself, and that he'd clear waivers and end up back in Las Vegas on the practice squad.
However, just one day after being waived by the Raiders, Smith was picked up on the waiver wire by the Los Angeles Rams, per the NFL's transaction wire. He'll immediately be on the Rams' 53-man roster, which is a great landing spot for the third-year player.
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The Rams just had to put safety Quentin Lake on the IR, and one of their coveted practice squad pieces, cornerback A.J. Green, got poached by the Miami Dolphins. Simply put, Los Angeles needs help in its secondary, and so they took a plunge on Smith.
It may take a bit for him to get fully integrated with the Rams, but his first chance will be this weekend on Sunday Night Football, as they'll host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at SoFi Stadium. The Raiders don't play Los Angeles this season, but if Smith stays with the Rams, the two teams will play in 2026.
Unfortunately, his nearly three-year career in Las Vegas is now over, at least for the time being. It may not have been action-packed with marquee moments, but Smith was a valuable contributor for the Silver and Black across three different sets of leadership, which is something to be proud of.
Once a Raider, always a Raider!