Just the raiders being the raiders....they LOVE the bad guy role dont they???
So far, the 2008 free-agency derby has become exactly what so many NFL coaches and general managers vowed it would not be: a scramble to pay the most money possible to the least impressive overall player pool in recent memory.
Hours before the signing period began, the Raiders, to the consternation of many NFL owners and general managers, raised the ceiling to new heights for free-agent defensive linemen.
Tommy Kelly - a non-Pro Bowl defensive end coming off an ACL injury that Oakland signed as a nondrafted rookie in 2004 - likely could have been retained with a transition tag, at a minimum.
Instead, the Raiders dumped an armored truck full of guaranteed money on Kelly, a staggering $18.13 million guaranteed, with $25.13 million coming to him in the first three years of a seven-year, $50.5 million contract.
Think this went over well with some big-market owners, many of whom have been crying foul over the NFL's current collective bargaining agreement that forces them to share profits with the league's poorer franchises?
Remember, the Raiders are among the NFL's lowest revenue-producing teams. Sure, their merchandise is a top seller. But without the lucrative income generated by a new stadium, luxury boxes, corporate sponsorships, electronic advertising and enthusiastic season-ticket sales, the franchise is ranked 28th among the 32 teams, according to the 2007 Forbes magazine list of team values.
The agreement demands that top revenue-generating franchises such as the Cowboys, Redskins, Patriots and Texans fund a supplemental pool that the "small market" or low-revenue teams may tap to remain viable and competitive in free agency and the draft.
The Raiders and 49ers are among that group that vacuums money from the pool.
So when other teams see the Raiders tossing nearly $19 million in guarantees to a defensive lineman who is not among the NFL's elite, it causes resentment around the league. That kind of move is considered irresponsible, especially if the team doing it doesn't contribute to the supplemental pool. Plus, it drives up market value for everyone.
The 49ers, though, had little choice but to hand $20 million guaranteed to Bengals defensive end Justin Smith if they hoped to lure one of the top linemen away from other interested teams, particularly the Vikings and Jaguars.
Free agency 2008 has seen big-name players change teams with enormous amounts of money in hand. Guard Alex Faneca, a player the 49ers were chasing, received $21 million in guarantees Saturday from the Jets as part of his five-year, $40 million contract - the most guaranteed money ever paid to a free-agent offensive lineman.
Kelly's deal includes the highest guarantee paid to a free-agent defensive lineman.
Agents and players are rejoicing. Meanwhile, frustrated owners such as Denver's Pat Bowlen, a critic of the current revenue-sharing plan, are more likely to opt out of the current CBA when the vote comes in November.