ALAMEDA http://www.jacksonvillejaguarsteamonline.com/jawaan-taylor-jersey , Calif. (AP) — the Oakland Raiders are now making some cuts.The Raiders released 2018 leading wide receiver Jordy Nelson and backup quarterback AJ McCarron on Thursday to create salary cap space after going on a spending spree earlier this week.The moves save more than $8.5 million for the upcoming season after the Raiders committed more than $50 million in salary cap space to acquire receiver Antonio Brown, tackle Trent Brown, safety Lamarcus Joyner and receiver Tyrell Williams.Nelson signed a $14.2 million, two-year deal last March with the Raiders and had 63 catches for 739 yards in his one season in Oakland. The Raiders turned his $3.6 million roster bonus for 2019 into a signing bonus late last season, which leaves them with $1.8 million in dead money this year.Coach Jon Gruden had planned to keep Nelson before plans changed when Brown became available from Pittsburgh last weekend.The Raiders traded a 2019 fifth-round pick to Buffalo last year to acquire McCarron as the backup to Derek Carr. McCarron appeared in just two games with three passes before the team decided to go in another direction.The move leaves Nathan Peterman as the only backup on the roster. Peterman was fifth-round pick by Buffalo in 2017 but was cut last season after beginning the year as the starter. He is 68 for 130 in his career for 548 yards, three TDs, 12 interceptions and a 32.5 passer rating in his career.The Raiders also signed defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins to a two-year contract to return to Oakland and formally announced the deal with Joyner that was agreed to earlier this week.Hankins spent his first four seasons with the Giants and then played for Indianapolis in 2017 before joining the Raiders last season. He had 36 tackles and two fumble recoveries last season for Oakland and will be part of a rotation at defensive tackle with second-year players Maurice Hurst and P.J. Hall, as well as Justin Ellis.“I’m definitely honored to be here for another two more years http://www.jacksonvillejaguarsteamonline.com/gardner-minshew-ii-jersey , be a part of the movement going forward,” Hankins said. “It’s exciting seeing everybody that they’ve been signing. I just can’t wait to get back to work and prove everybody wrong and let them know that the Raiders are back.”Joyner is the most notable addition so far for a defense that ranked last in the NFL in yards allowed per play (6.27) and points allowed per game (29.2) last season.The Raiders coveted Joyner for his versatility; he had experience playing cornerback, in the slot and safety in five seasons with the Rams. He was at his best after moving exclusively to free safety the past two seasons under coordinator Wade Phillips but said he’s ready to play in the slot if needed for Oakland.Joyner looks forward to come in on the ground floor of a rebuild after helping Florida State rebound from a team that struggled in coach Bobby Bowden’s final seasons before he arrived and then won a national championship under Jimbo Fisher in his senior season.“When I entered both organizations, they weren’t doing too well,” he said. “Even my years with the Rams, we started off slow, but they got the right guys in. I feel like I’m one of the first stepping stones, one of those first milestones for Coach Gruden to bring the right guys in and change this place around.” LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Mitchell Trubisky wants the Bears to believe this will be the week their struggling offense gets going.It might actually be that week because Chicago is facing a Washington Redskins defense that hasn’t been able to stop much of anything.The Bears (1-1) go into Monday night’s matchup with the third-worst offense in the NFL through the first two weeks of the season. Fortunately for them http://www.losangelesramsteamonline.com/darrell-henderson-jersey , the Redskins (0-2) rank third-worst on defense and are dealing with some key injuries contributing to that disappointing start.Article continues below ...“They got some openings where we could have some success on offense this week,” Trubisky said Thursday. “We’ve got to believe that this offense can explode at any minute because of the playmakers and the special guys we have in the locker room.”Chicago’s offense has produced just one touchdown through two games — a 1-yard-run by David Montgomery last week — and Trubisky is a combined 42 of 72 for 348 yards and an interception. The 2017 second overall pick is near the bottom of the league at 4.8 yards a completion.“Right now, it’s just about getting into that rhythm and then understanding the execution of the plays,” coach Matt Nagy said. “And us as coaches, too, making sure that we’re putting them in optimum position to make the plays with whatever play call is made. We’re not running different plays. We’re not running anything different than we did last year. It’s a long season.”That’s the mantra inside the Redskins’ locker room where injuries to defensive lineman Jonathan Allen and cornerbacks Fabian Moreau and Quinton Dunbar have contributed to them getting worn down as games go on. Coach Jay Gruden said it’s not time to panic yet, but the defense underachieving is alarming.Washington has allowed a combined 569 yards in the second half in losses to Philadelphia and Dallas .“We’re struggling a little bit, but it takes time,” defensive tackle Tim Settle said. “The more we work together as a team http://www.minnesotavikingsteamonline.com/irv-smith-jr.-jersey , the more we progress as a team, the better we’re going to get. We’re going to get things rolling. It’s going to be pretty.”Not much is pretty about the Redskins’ defense or the Bears’ offense so far. Settle mentioned communication as an issue, and first-year Washington middle linebacker Jon Bostic pointed to a lack of cohesiveness on the defensive side of the ball.“Everybody’s got to be on the same page,” Bostic said. “If you got 10 guys on the same page and one guy that’s off it, it’s going to lead to an explosive play. Explosive plays win ballgames for you.”A big kick by Eddy Pineiro won the Bears their game last week at Denver, and they’re still looking for the big plays that have eluded them.“That comes down to everybody being locked in, making sure that everybody’s on being on the same page — no miscues on any part of the offense,” Chicago receiver Allen Robinson said. “It just comes down to everybody being on the same page and executing.”Some things to watch when the Bears visit the Redskins on Monday night:MONSTERS OF THE MIDWAYUnlike the Redskins, the Bears’ defense is doing just fine. It’s ranked fourth in the league and sixth against the run under new coordinator Chuck Pagano after Vic Fangio left to take the Broncos‘ head coaching job.“They’re physical in the middle and they have speed at linebacker http://www.newyorkgiantsteamonline.com/dexter-lawrence-jersey ,” Gruden said. “They have good edge play. They have a safety that’s a ball hawk. Their corners are pretty good and experienced. They don’t really have a weakness in their defense.”Chicago has seven sacks through two games, two off the league lead.KEENUM IN RHYTHMCase Keenum won Washington’s starting QB job essentially by default because longtime backup Colt McCoy is still injured and first-round pick Dwayne Haskins isn’t ready. But Keenum is far from a problem for the Redskins, throwing for 601 yards and five touchdown passes with no interceptions.“I’m well aware of Case Keenum and what he can do,” Nagy said. “He’s obviously having a good year right now. Statically he’s protecting the football. He’s very, very football smart. So his football IQ is high. He gets the ball out.”BIG KICKThe Bears brought in a long line of kickers during the offseason after letting the embattled Cody Parker go following his double-doink miss in the playoff loss to Philadelphia at Soldier Field. They ultimately went with Pineiro, and he just might be winning them over.He nailed a 53-yard winner as time expired last week after hitting from 40 and 52 earlier in the game and is 4 for 4 this season. The big boot against the Broncos came after Nagy chose to go for a first down on fourth-and-10 in the opener against Green Bay at home rather than try a 51-yarder.“I’m trying to gain trust from them,” Pineiro said. “Now that he’s seen me hit a couple 50-yarders, maybe he lets me try a few longer ones. So it’s all a trust process. But we work for that moment behind the scenes at practice. Last-second kick, your team loses http://www.oaklandraidersteamonline.com/josh-jacobs-jersey , we’ve been doing this for the past four months now.”STILL NO REEDThe Redskins hoped to get matchup nightmare tight end Jordan Reed back last week after being concussed Aug. 23. This is his fifth documented concussion in seven years, Reed didn’t practice again Thursday and all possible caution being taken means he could miss the Bears game, too.“This is all a part of the process of recovering from this ordeal,” Gruden said. “We’re just taking it very slowly, making sure he goes through the right process to make sure it’s right before he goes back on the field.”