ALAMEDA, Calif. (Sept. 3, 2005) -- Tight ends Teyo Johnson and Rickey Dudley were among 20 players cut by the Oakland Raiders as the team got down to the 53-man limit.
Johnson, a second-round pick of the Raiders in 2003, had been in and out of Coach Norv Turner's doghouse since last year when he skipped offseason workouts to take part in an NFL-sponsored trip to China. Though Turner later said the two cleared the air, Johnson was relegated to a backup role throughout the preseason this year and barely played at all in Oakland's 13-6 victory against New Orleans on Sept. 1.
"With every move, the thing you're trying to do is find the most complete players to fill our your entire roster," Turner said.
"Everyone involved in coaching Teyo worked hard to give him an opportunity to be successful," he added. "When you have a guy and you see the potential, you want to see that develop and come out. At times it did. It's just finding the consistency was the thing we were looking for."
Dudley was trying for a second tour with the Raiders, who drafted him with the ninth overall pick in 1996. Like Johnson, Dudley could not break into Oakland's top tight end rotation that includes second-year player Courtney Anderson and veteran Zeron Flemister.
Oakland also released veteran fullback Chris Hetherington, outside linebacker Akbar Gbaja-Biamila and defensive lineman Anttaj Hawthorne, the team's sixth-round draft pick this year. In addition, the Raiders cut tight end James Adkisson, wide receiver Cedric Bonner, safety Calvin Branch, guard C.J. Brooks, center Vince Carter, tackles Robert Hicks and Brad Lekkerkerker, quarterback Bret Engemann, linebackers Jay Foreman, Marquis Smith and Edward Thomas, running back DeJuan Green, defensive linemen Lorn Mayers and Jordan Hicks, and fullback J.R. Niklos.
The Raiders also placed three players -- defensive tackle Kenny Smith, tackle Shaun Rose and safety Keyon Nash -- on injured reserve.
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