The economic view
Let’s forget the palace intrigue for a moment and look go straight to the hard economic numbers.
You can blame Art Shell and Tom Walsh all you want, but the bottom line is the players who take up the most space on the Oakland Raiders salary cap roster haven’t pulled their weight either through non-performance, injury or both.
A look at the underachievers (numbers are 2006 salary cap numbers, not actual salary):
1. WR Randy Moss, $10,023,010_Nowhere to be found on the NFL’s top 50 in either receptions or yardage, Moss has 4 receptions for 34 yards in his last three games _ the worst stretch of his career when injury wasn’t a factor.
2. LG Barry Sims, $7,215,859_Switched to left guard this season, struggled along with the rest of the line, and has missed the last four games with a serious abdominal injury. Although Sims is reporting slow improvement, there is no guarantee he will play again this season. (note: thanks for the comment below pointing out the “LB” instead of “LG”)
3. LT Robert Gallery, $6,789,498_Missed games in Week 2 and 11 with groin injuries and will miss his second straight game with a dislocated elbow suffered against Kansas City. The No. 2 pick in the NFL draft in 2004, Gallery’s development was seen as a key factor in Art Shell’s plan to remake the offensive line.
The Raiders need to get Gallery back on the field and as much as work as possible in order to deterimne whether a very high draft pick will have to be used on another left tackle.
5. RB LaMont Jordan, $6,030,280_Out for the season with a torn MCL after gaining 434 yards, averaging 3.8 yards per carry. He gained 1,012 yards in 14 games last season. Signed to a five-year, $25 million contract two years ago, the Raiders expected to get more than 63 yards per game on the ground.
6, WR Jerry Porter, $3,151,320_Has been inactive five times, suspended for four games, will miss another week with a hip flexor injury and has one catch for 19 yards. The subject of an on-going feud with Shell with no end in sight.
7, QB Aaron Brooks, $3,005,720_Signed as a free agent, Brooks was lost in the second game of the season with a torn pectoral muscle and was inactive for seven games. Although he has given the offense some life in his last two starts, Brooks has produced 27 points in eight quarters and had key interceptions at the end of both losses.
If you’re wondering where No. 4 was, defensive tackle Warren Sapp ($6,097,000) has a cap figure which is in line with his veteran status and performance.
The other six combine for $36,215,723 in salary cap space _ more than 35 percent of the 2006 total salary cap of approximately $102 million.
You can attibute some, but not all of the above performances to coaching. There’s bad luck, bad breaks and bad attitudes involved, and the sad fact that the guys who take up the most cap space aren’t the same ones pulling their weight on the field.
Thursday’s news and notes:
– Shell handled “Lombardigate” the same way he dealt with earlier crisis situations with Jerry Porter, Randy Moss and Andrew Walter. He talked about it for one day, then turned the page.
“I’m done with that,” Shell said, declining to elaborate.
– PK Sebastian Janikowski said his back locked up on him on the flight to San Diego and that he was only able to play after accupuncture and “a couple of shots.” We’re presuming he meant injections.
To his credit, Janikowski said his condition had nothing to do with his missed 36-yard attempt. If the Janikowski can’t play, the Raiders may sign Paul Edinger, a former kicker with Chicago and Minnesota.
Edinger and Kurt Smith, a sixth-round draft pick from Virginia who was cut Aug. 28 by San Diego, were working out following practice Thursday. Smith has not kicked field goals since 2002 and is primarily a kickoff specialist.
If Janikowski couldn’t play, the Raiders could conceivably add both to the roster _ Edinger to kick field goals, Smith to perform kickoffs.
The Raiders reached out to Mike Vanderjagt, cut by the Cowboys, but were informed Vanderjagt did not want to kick on a week-by-week basis.
– DE Lance Johnstone missed practice for the second straight day with a broken toe and sore knee and was addeed to the injury report as questionable. If Johnstone can’t play, it will mean increased snaps for Tyler Brayton
– Interesting comment on by Tim Brown on KNBR Tuesday. When asked about the Randy Moss being elected team captain, Brown said it was possible management made Moss captain regardless of how many votes he got.
I’ve suspected the Raiders of having done this in the past. The year Barret Robbins won the Ed Block Courage Award after battling alcoholism and bi-polar disorder, several players didn’t want to talk about Robbins at all.
Not long afterward, Robbins began being spotted in local bars. Some teammates knew Robbins had already slipped, and thought the award was basically a sham.
Posted on Thursday, November 30th, 2006
Under: Oakland Raiders | 29 Comments »

