Raiders Sign TE Justin Shorter to the Practice Squad

The Raiders are still rounding out their roster ahead of the start of the 2024 season. On Thursday, they announced the signing of tight end Justin Shorter to the team's practice squad.

Shorter was drafted by the Bills in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft as a wide receiver. He was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury last August and did not appear in the regular season. In the preseason this year, Shorter caught two passes for 15 yards.

In two seasons at Penn State and three at Florida, Shorter finished with 110 catches for 1,552 yards and eight touchdowns. At 6'4", 229 lbs, Shorter was always a supersized wide receiver, so the apparent move to tight end makes sense for him.

This move appears unrelated to rookie tight end Brock Bowers' status to start the season. The Georgia product missed the Raiders' preseason Week 3 game, but he's expected to be ready for Week 1. "Yeah, just precautionary," head coach Antonio Pierce said. "Got a foot injury and we just want to protect him."

Related: Las Vegas Raiders' Rookie Brock Bowers Still Missing Practice