One of the best names in the game has reportedly been waived by the Raiders, though the team has no comment on the status of defensive end Stryker Sulak, Oakland's sixth-round draft pick out of Missouri and the team's Web Site makes no mention of it on its transaction page.
Instead, the Raiders have posted that back-up safety and special teams player Keith Davis, who was signed on May 21 after appearing in 84 games over six seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, has been released.
Sulak's fate, meanwhile, was reportedly news to him and his agent, according to profootballtalk.com (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/07/13/no-explanation-from-raiders-on-decision-to-cut-rookie-draft-pick)
When Sulak was drafted, Raiders coach Tom Cable said he planned to play the 6-feet-5, 250-pound rookie at strong side linebacker, even as the three-time All-Big 12 selection had 55 tackles, 15 ½ for a loss, with 10 ½ sacks and led the NCAA with six forced fumbles his senior season. But during the media availability portions of mandatory minicamp and voluntary OTAs, Sulak was at defensive end and playing with the second and third team defenses. The Raiders' signing of Greg Ellis to bookend with Derrick Burgess and the emergence of last year's sixth-round pick, Trevor Scott, might have meant Sulak was simply caught in a numbers game when the Raiders badly need to solidify the middle of its D-Line in run defense.
Did the Raiders 'stryke' out and waste a sixth-round pick? Depends on your perspective. A roll call, then, of the team's sixth-round draft picks since relocating to Oakland in 1995, while keeping in mind the team might have had multiple sixth-rounders in some years, no sixth-round selection in others: T Eli Herring, RB Tim Hall, DB Calvin Branch, DT Grady Jackson, DT Daren Yancey, DT Chris Cooper, S Keyon Nash, RB Larry Ned, T Dustin Rykert, DE Shawn Johnson, LB Cody Spencer, DT Anttaj Hawthorne, LB Ryan Riddle, T Pete McMahon, OL Kevin Boothe, FB Oren O'Neal, Scott and Sulak.
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