The Oakland Raiders waived offensive tackle Joseph Barksdale on Wednesday. The second-year player is eligible to be claimed off waivers on Thursday, according to NFL reporter Adam Caplan.
Barksdale was a third-round pick out of LSU by Oakland in the 2011 NFL Draft. He played in all 16 games in 2011, without making a start. He has not appeared in a game in 2012.
The Raiders have now shedded both of their third-round picks from 2011. Cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke was released earlier this month. Van Dyke and Barksdale were the Raiders' second and third selections overall last season, as they did not have a first-round pick.
Oakland and new head coach Dennis Allen are still trying to rework the roster after a disappointing 1-2 start that was salvaged only by a surprising victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Despite the bad start, the AFC West is still up for grabs, as the Raiders are just one game behind division-leading San Diego and face the Denver Broncos this week.
This story was originally published on SBNation.com.