Raiders News: Jeff Heath Reportedly Released By Las Vegas

The Las Vegas Raiders put an emphasis on bolstering their personnel in the secondary this offseason. With all the influx of young talent in the secondary, the team remained in the market for some veteran experience to help balance things out.

The Raiders seemingly found their answer in the form of former Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Casey Hayward. Hayward’s pedigree as a proven stater is set to pay some major dividends for this cornerback group.

However, Hayward’s arrival did come with one caveat for Las Vegas. It appears safety Jeff Heath has been deemed as the odd man out.

According to NFL’s Network’s Tom Pelissero, Heath is set to hit the market as a free agent following his release.

The #Raiders are releasing safety Jeff Heath on Wednesday, per source. He was the AFC Defensive Player of the Week in Week 10 last season. Now, set to be a free agent.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 4, 2021

Heath signed a two-year deal worth up to $8 million with the Raiders last offseason following a seven-year stint with the Dallas Cowboys. He was an integral part of the rotation over the top and wind up finishing the year with 37 tackles, three interceptions and four pass breakups.

The 30-year-old missed three games due to a concussion. However, he did earn AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors in Week 10 when he recorded two interceptions in a win against the Denver Broncos.

The move to cut Heath may come as a bit of a surprise considering general manager Mike Mayock doubled down on his status as a starter following day two of the draft. Regardless, it is indicative of the confidence the Raiders have in the crop of new talent coming in.

After all, Mayock traded up five spots to take safety Trevon Moehrig at No. 43 overall. They are also high on safety Divine Deablo’s versatility taking him in the third round.

It is clear that the Raiders have high hopes for some immediate contributions from this rookie class in the 2021 NFL season.