Las Vegas trimmed its safety depth after releasing Thomas Harper from the initial 53-man roster, then brought in Tristin McCollum. Harper was claimed by Detroit, giving the Lions a flexible defender with late-2024 momentum. Vegas hinges on Jeremy Chinn and Isaiah Polo-Mao to anchor the back end, a unit facing depth issues as Week 1 looms. This reshuffle signals ongoing defensive tinkering in the Raiders' secondary and potential snap changes for early-season games.

Detroit added Thomas Harper off waivers from Las Vegas to fill the Lions’ final 53-man roster spot. Harper started five games and appeared in 15 for the Raiders last season. The move came after Detroit traded Tim Patrick to the Jaguars for a draft pick, signed ex-Jaguars safety Daniel Thomas, and added two defensive linemen off waivers. Harper will compete with Thomas and other defensive backs for roles in a crowded Detroit secondary.

Additionally, the Lions are integrating Harper into a group that already features seasoned safeties and versatile defensive backs, signaling a push for depth and upside in IDP formats. Fantasy players should monitor how he works into sub-packages and special-teams, as any early path to starting snaps could unlock immediate fantasy utility.

Detroit Lions claim Thomas Harper off waivers from Las Vegas to complete a 53-man roster, setting a fresh safety depth chart with Harper expected to contribute on special teams and gravity-manage occasional defensive snaps. Harper started five games as a Raider rookie in 2024, logging an interception, 26 tackles, and a half-sack across 15 appearances. The move follows a Raiders’ roster shuffle that also involved Tristin McCollum, a former Eagles safety, as part of late-cut churn.

For fantasy and betting audiences, Harper represents a speculative stash with upside if he carves out a special-teams role and opportunistic reps in Detroit’s backend. The Lions’ depth and practice reports will dictate early value, but the path to tangible fantasy traction appears contingent on injuries and how quickly he locks in Detroit’s system.

Tristin McCollum was claimed by the Las Vegas Raiders off waivers from the Philadelphia Eagles, bolstering a safety room that needed depth after trimming the 53-man roster. The move comes with familiarity between McCollum and the Raiders’ front office, and a clear aim to improve backend coverage behind Isaiah Pola-Mao.

McCollum spent two seasons with Philadelphia, rising from practice squad duties in 2023 to a 2024 season that included 14 regular-season games (two starts) and all four postseason contests. He totaled 36 tackles, two passes defensed, and three special-teams stops across 17 regular-season appearances. He entered the league as an undrafted free agent with Houston in 2022, is 6-3 and 195, and hails from Sam Houston State.