RFA deadline passes with no Raiders news
By Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer
Friday, March 4th, 2011 at 2:45 pm in Oakland Raiders.
The deadline for extending tenders to restricted free agents has passed without a peep from the Raiders.
Today, which was supposed to be the first day of free agency, instead finds teams unable to conduct business with players during a seven-day extension as players and ownership attempt to hammer out a collective bargaining agreement.
Oakland made splashy news in the last couple of weeks by re-signing Richard Seymour and Stanford Routt and putting an exclusive franchise tag on Kamerion Wimbley, but the RFA status has gone unannounced by the Raiders and so far unnoticed by those who have access to the official league wire.
RFA designations at this point are only insurance until a collective bargaining agreement is reached. For instance, the Raiders could designate tender both tight end Zach Miller and running back Michael Bush only to have them become unrestricted free agents if a new CBA grants them that status.
A couple of things worth noting:
– If Miller and Bush were not tendered, it’s not necessarily a cause for alarm. Yes, if an agreement is reached and free agency opens, both could be free to seek their best offer. But keep in mind the Raiders are very good at keeping players they want to keep, and there’s not reason to believe they wouldn’t want Miller and Bush.
Chances are that has been communicated to their agents and it’s conceivable the sides have come to something close to an agreement and are simply waiting for the right time to act on it.
– The best guess at this point from those more familiar with the labor situation than I am is that there will once again be a salary cap, despite former executive director Gene Upshaw saying that once the cap was gone, it was likely gone for good.
According to calculations by beat writer Steve Corkran, the fit for the Raiders could be snug if the cap is set at, say, $125 million. Seymour alone counts nearly $18.4 million in 2011. “Dead money” that must be accounted for in 2011, according to Corkran, is in the neighborhood of $26 million in pro-rated money on Asomugha, Gallery and Huff alone.
The Raiders have in the past had little problem keeping players they wanted with large amounts of dead money through restructuring other contracts.
A list of players who could be restricted free agents (pending Raiders confirmation of unannounced deals) when a CBA is reached:
Four-year veterans
QB Bruce Gradkowski
RB Michael Bush
TE Zach Miller
WR Johnnie Lee Higgins
C Samson Satele
OT Mario Henderson
DE Jarvis Moss
Five-year veterans
FS Michael Huff
LB Thomas Howard
LB Ricky Brown
S Hiram Eugene
Six-year veterans
T Khalif Barnes
T-G Daniel Loper
Veteran UFAs
CB Nnamdi Asomugha
QB Kyle Boller
QB Charlie Frye
QB J.T. O’Sullivan
RB Michael Bennett
G Robert Gallery
T Langston Walker
LB Sam Williams
DT John Henderson (ESPN has reported two-year contract, Raiders have not confirmed)
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March 4th, 2011 at 2:46 pm
#1
March 4th, 2011 at 2:51 pm
Keep the “dead” money alive and re-sign Asomugha and Huff.
For an owner that places a HUUUUUUGGGGGEE premium on Defensive BAcks to let an All-Pro CB and a very good FS go seems unthinkable.
If Asomugha and Huff are leaving…I hope the Man2Man scheme leaves with them.
Because Routt and whoever else gets inserted WON’T be able to run it with consistency
March 4th, 2011 at 2:53 pm
^^^^^^^
Plus by adding four new potential starters on the O-Line….there are basically saying they are starting all over again.
That means they will take time to gel and learn how to play as a unit.
Not good….this team needs to win NOW….not in 2 years, not in 5 years and sure as hell not in 10 years!
March 4th, 2011 at 2:55 pm
Keeping Nnamdi and Huff would be HUGE for this Raider team.
I mean who the hell is the old man going to get to replace them IF they walk??
There are no guarantees he is going to be able to adequately replace them thru free agency or especially the freakin draft.
Dammit!
March 4th, 2011 at 2:59 pm
389.DMAC Says:
March 4th, 2011 at 12:07 pm
Didn’t Walker play some at guard and looked pretty good 2?
Maybe that’s what he’s best suited for.
^^^^^^^^
That’s how I felt also last year. He should have been playing RG.
However, I don’t think he can pull or trap as good as Huey or Wylie are going to want.
March 4th, 2011 at 3:00 pm
438.CMon Man Says:
March 4th, 2011 at 1:42 pm
Teach,
WHy does it sound ridiculous.
Carlisle is rumored to be out the door. Gallery is already gone…and Satele’s hold on the job is a big unknown…remember they tried to get Veldheer in there to replace him.
So there is at least 3 new starters that are very likely….Walker might make it.
As for the three new LBs….they did a decent job I guess…but someone needs to explain to me why this Raider team is not competitive against the run?
Year after year after year of bad run defense.
Claims of “they just have to play better” is the only intelligent answer anyone can come up with.
^^^^^^^
The O-Line is a whole different animal than the 3 starters on the LB Corp.
March 4th, 2011 at 3:02 pm
I think the reason we cant stop the run is are system and abilities of D lineman. First from what ive seen the raiders are a pass rush no gap control d-line. we do not have a DL who takes up space and takes up blocks, opening up lanes for the lb’s. seymor could do that but we use him more for the upfield pass rush. kelley is just the product of being along side a good DL “seymor”. Houston is more pass rusher and henderson is to old. Bryant in my opinion is a better base end. No pure run stopping beast, take up space, need know credit moose on this team. Paea second round please.
March 4th, 2011 at 3:04 pm
I dont know why everyone is so against satele.. he’s been more than solid for us.. and i guarantee he’s around next year
March 4th, 2011 at 3:05 pm
Well, the Raiders are going with the same roster as last year on defense minus Aso and Huff.
So they better find a way to “just play better” next year to both STOP THE RUN and compensate for the replacement of Asomugha and Huff with Jeremy Ware and Walter McFAdden
March 4th, 2011 at 3:11 pm
Yah the raiders will have the same d minus aso and huff. That is scary if they dont do something about stopping the run. Signing henderson is not the answer but it might have to be for this year.
March 4th, 2011 at 3:15 pm
Four-year veterans
QB Bruce Gradkowski Only if it’s cheap
RB Michael Bush Keep
TE Zach Miller Keep
WR Johnnie Lee Higgins Only if it’s cheap
C Samson Satele Keep
OT Mario Henderson Keep
DE Jarvis Moss Only if it’s cheap
Five-year veterans
FS Michael Huff Keep
LB Thomas Howard Only if it’s cheap
LB Ricky Brown Only if it’s cheap
S Hiram Eugene Keep
Six-year veterans
T Khalif Barnes Keep
T-G Daniel Loper Keep
Veteran UFAs
CB Nnamdi Asomugha Keep, but it’s up to him
QB Kyle Boller Only one backup QB should
QB Charlie Frye be retained. A late round
QB J.T. O’Sullivan draft pick is the 3rd QB
RB Michael Bennett Keep
T Langston Walker Keep
LB Sam Williams Only if it’s cheap
March 4th, 2011 at 3:16 pm
Damn. The spacing didn’t work out like I planned.
March 4th, 2011 at 3:16 pm
One reason our run-d has been so bad as been the play of the offense.
Too many 3-and-outs, gets the d tired, especially late in games. Last year our run D would hold up mostly to let big runs go in the fourth quarter.
If we can give JCamp some time to convert on 3rd down, maybe our run d will improve later in games.
March 4th, 2011 at 3:20 pm
When was the lst time we had probowl talent on the O-line…our last superbowl appearance.
Since then we have only spent one 1st rounder on the O-line, and have brought in zer0 probowl FAs.
March 4th, 2011 at 3:24 pm
Here’ who I’d keep, if possible:
Four-year veterans
QB Bruce Gradkowski
RB Michael Bush – Keep
TE Zach Miller – Keep
WR Johnnie Lee Higgins
C Samson Satele – Keep BU
OT Mario Henderson – Keep
DE Jarvis Moss
Five-year veterans
FS Michael Huff – Keep
LB Thomas Howard – Keep ST
LB Ricky Brown
S Hiram Eugene – Keep ST
Six-year veterans
T Khalif Barnes – Keep BU
T-G Daniel Loper – Keep BU
Veteran UFAs
CB Nnamdi Asomugha – Keep
QB Kyle Boller
QB Charlie Frye – Keep BU
QB J.T. O’Sullivan
RB Michael Bennett
G Robert Gallery
T Langston Walker – Keep BU
LB Sam Williams
Many of the keeps would be for back-up positions & Special Teams. Many we should be able to Keep inexpensively. Some are just keep ST’ers.
March 4th, 2011 at 3:24 pm
I don’t mind Satele at C as much because its looks like gets out on the running plays…
BUT whoever they bring in I HOPE Center’s first snap is not our during our FIRST GAME. (Tenn. game)
Estsblish a Center and run with him!
March 4th, 2011 at 3:25 pm
Raidertalk,
I hear what you are saying conceptually.
But what happened in the Jax game? Arizona, Houston and Indy.
Offense wasn’t going 3 and out like JBustus or 2006!
The run defense is just bad brotha. They have to do something different.
They ranked 29th in the league stopping the run.
THe offense ranked 10th in number of plays from scrimmage AND yards per game.
The defense has to STEP IT UP! No execuses!
March 4th, 2011 at 3:25 pm
Free agent Zach Miller said Friday that he’s not necessarily tied to re-signing with the Raiders.
“I’d like to be back in Oakland but I’m open to other opportunities,” he said. The Raiders likely tendered Miller as a restricted free agent, but the four-year vet is going to hit the open market once a new CBA is reached. Miller just so happens to be Oakland’s NFLPA rep. He called the progress of negotiations between the players and owners “absolutely a good thing.”
March 4th, 2011 at 3:28 pm
gr0w215 Says:
March 4th, 2011 at 3:04 pm
I dont know why everyone is so against satele.. he’s been more than solid for us.. and i guarantee he’s around next year
******************
Satelle is a turnstyle when it comes to pass blocking against big NT’s. We can afford that weakness in the middle – it disrupts everything. He’s a ZBS O lineman and not a power blocking player.
March 4th, 2011 at 3:30 pm
Losing Zach Miller would be awful too.
Do you remember the tight ends wedged between Todd Christensen and Zach Miller…..and how many years of wilderness!
Raiders do an awful job of replacing certain positions.
TE, QB, WR, RB and Safety. Raiders have struggled finding replacements that didn’t involve an expensive free agent signing
March 4th, 2011 at 3:31 pm
at #17, thats true, we did have mental break downs late in those games on D when our Offense put up points.
Part of that Maybe because the core of that D was young and discipline problems,
but we put up quick scores in those games and did not have long sustained, back-breaking drives that playoff teams can put together…
March 4th, 2011 at 3:41 pm
If Awesome One #21 wants to stay a Raider, Al will make it happen.. When a new CBA is reached, theres a good chance a Salery Cap will ´first apply in 2012, thus leaving 2011 where teams as the Raiders are already signing huge contracts, Cap free.. #21 is a high character, reliable guy and he is devoted to the community, if there is no Cap Big Al could give him a big contract so he will retire a Raider – with the majority up front as a signing fee.. Then it wouldnt have a major effect in the coming years Cap, and Awesome One would still get what he deserves.. As he is a high character guy, the risk would not be that high, and he could still be counted on to do his job, and not quit working like Haynesworth for instance.. This way Awesome One could play 3 years of CB, 2 years as FS (when speed is slowed) and retire a Raider with a coaching job waiting, while not destroying our Salery Cap for the coming years..
Not sure it would happen, but it could be a possibility, especially as #21 is not all about the money..
March 4th, 2011 at 3:41 pm
.. Wishful thinking, but still..
March 4th, 2011 at 3:46 pm
raidertalk Says:
March 4th, 2011 at 3:31 pm
at #17, thats true, we did have mental break downs late in those games on D when our Offense put up points.
Part of that Maybe because the core of that D was young and discipline problems,
but we put up quick scores in those games and did not have long sustained, back-breaking drives that playoff teams can put together…
======================================================
Points are points though. Al Davis is not building this team to sustain long drives…this is not a WCO or smashmouth football team. its been designed for the big play.
DHB over Crabtree? Why? The big play!
All the emphasis on 40x? The big play!
Defense has to step it up and be able to slug it out.
March 4th, 2011 at 3:47 pm
JaBustus, Andrew Walter etc….the big play!
March 4th, 2011 at 3:48 pm
Asomugha hopefully wants to stay. Provided that the salaries are about right, you would think that he would believe in all the good things going on.
Hopefully he hasn’t given up on that…and hopefully DAvis is willing to pay his star pupil more than that bloated salary he gave to Routt
March 4th, 2011 at 3:54 pm
JB when you say Satele is a ZBS player what exactly does that mean? Because I disagree he’s played in drive blocking systems most of his career.
March 4th, 2011 at 4:02 pm
Why do you guys spend so much time crying about what some player got paid, if he wants to keep a player he will if he doesn’t he wont………..period
March 4th, 2011 at 4:08 pm
TJ
To me he seems more like a finesse type blocker. In other words he gets in the way. Typically that’s zone blocking technique. He’s fairly good at getting to the second level on running plays but I think he gets manhandled too easily when confronting Big NT’s. That’s a bad thing on pass blocking. The fact that Carlisle is on his right is not a plus either. Carlisle is bad at pass blocking too. Together, they get bull rushed far too easily. We can’t afford the center of the O-line weakness going forward. Just my opinion.
March 4th, 2011 at 4:15 pm
2nd Paea
3rd best guard available
4th best center available
5th best corner available
6th best guard available
7th best guard or olb
March 4th, 2011 at 4:22 pm
JB I think that’s more rhetoric in here than reality on the field. I watch him all the year and he started all year long and he holds his own against the best NT’s in the game. I don’t see on film what I read in here.
March 4th, 2011 at 4:26 pm
priesttj,
thats because once people make up their mind it`s hard to change it.
March 4th, 2011 at 5:14 pm
[...] this has been officially confirmed by the Raiders. In fact just before McDonald broke this news he posted on his blog that the deadline had passed and Oakland made no move to place any tenders on their [...]
March 4th, 2011 at 6:03 pm
Miller has been the only consistent player, on offense, who continues to get better over the last 4-5 years….. He is our pathetic excuse for quarterbacks only hope at a completion…. Without his presence our offense is truly one dimensional…. That being said, he has been our offensive MVP until last year, when Dmac said FTW and showed his true talent…. We need to compete in this damn league and we need a run threat, a great qb, and a possession receiver…. We got dmac and miller throw in a good qb and have WR who can play then we are a very explosive team…. Keep miller and dmac forever and let’s find a franchise qb and a quality receiver and we will be in business…. They might already be on the roster or we may have to draft or sign a free agent but that’s what we need….. Miller is a piece u never ever let get away…. Would the bolts get rid of Gates ?