BustedKnuckles
Footballguy
Davis amenable to dealing Porter
Al Davis gave Jerry Porter a $13 million bonus last year as part of a contract extension to stay with the Oakland Raiders. But with the disgruntled wide receiver not embracing Art Shell's program, the Raiders owner seems willing to cut his losses.
Porter told The San Francisco Chronicle last week that he wants to be traded.
"He's got his reasons for saying what he did," Davis told USA TODAY on Monday. "He knows he has an opportunity to be traded. He's obviously going to have to give some money back if it does happen."
Davis says it's normal that not every player would agree with Shell's style.
"It has nothing to do with Art's authority," Davis says.
Porter told The Chronicle that differences began when he told Shell last spring that his "batteries are not charged," that he didn't like the way things were run with the team and that he would work out in Florida rather than in the offseason program in Oakland.
Shell has dismissed the issue as minor, a point Davis backs. Porter, a second-round pick in 2000 who led the team in receiving once in six seasons (2004), was projected as the No. 2 receiver after Randy Moss.
Dealing Porter without a signing bonus payback would be a difficult salary-cap move, given that $6.45 million in acceleration would be counted against the cap this year if he is traded or released.
The wide receiver position is a strength for Oakland. Promising talents include Doug Gabriel, Carlos Francis, Johnnie Morant and Ronald Curry.
Says Davis: "We have some other people who can catch the ball. That may be on someone's mind, too."
--By Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY
Al Davis gave Jerry Porter a $13 million bonus last year as part of a contract extension to stay with the Oakland Raiders. But with the disgruntled wide receiver not embracing Art Shell's program, the Raiders owner seems willing to cut his losses.
Porter told The San Francisco Chronicle last week that he wants to be traded.
"He's got his reasons for saying what he did," Davis told USA TODAY on Monday. "He knows he has an opportunity to be traded. He's obviously going to have to give some money back if it does happen."
Davis says it's normal that not every player would agree with Shell's style.
"It has nothing to do with Art's authority," Davis says.
Porter told The Chronicle that differences began when he told Shell last spring that his "batteries are not charged," that he didn't like the way things were run with the team and that he would work out in Florida rather than in the offseason program in Oakland.
Shell has dismissed the issue as minor, a point Davis backs. Porter, a second-round pick in 2000 who led the team in receiving once in six seasons (2004), was projected as the No. 2 receiver after Randy Moss.
Dealing Porter without a signing bonus payback would be a difficult salary-cap move, given that $6.45 million in acceleration would be counted against the cap this year if he is traded or released.
The wide receiver position is a strength for Oakland. Promising talents include Doug Gabriel, Carlos Francis, Johnnie Morant and Ronald Curry.
Says Davis: "We have some other people who can catch the ball. That may be on someone's mind, too."
--By Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY
al 1, jerry 0
See Marcus Allen for a good comp when the player falls on the wrong side of Davis.
