It seems our rivals on the west coast aren't shy about spending money. The Oakland Raiders on Thursday signed three players to contracts -- and it's only 6:00 p.m. so maybe more are coming. The total bill, according to media reports, is around $45 million committed today and over $80 million in the last nine days.
First, they slapped the franchise tag on OLB Kamerion Wimbley, which is expected to be worth about $10 million. The Raiders traded a third round pick for him before the 2010 NFL draft and he responded in Oakland with nine sacks.
Second, they signed CB Stanford Routt to a three-year, $31.5 million contract. I was, like most people, surprised by this move. That seems like a lot of money for your No. 2 corner (or maybe No. 1 if/when CB Nnamdi Asomugha leaves). He's just 27 years old so, if he plays this one out, he likely has another decent-sized contract coming.
Third, they signed DT John Henderson to a two-year deal worth $4 million $8 million, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. I think we all remember John Henderson's story (or non-story) with the Chiefs.
The fourth deal we thought we may be getting was TE Zach Miller. A lot of folks thought he would receive the franchise tag. Now that they've used it on Wimbley, Miller could leave. However, it sounds like the two sides are working on a long-term contract.
What to take out of all this? It's clear the Raiders want to keep their own players. The Chiefs signed several players to long-term deals during the season but have another 25 without contracts heading into 2011. On those 25, the Chiefs have decided to take a wait-and-see approach as we figure out what the labor landscape will look like.
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