The Raider 2013 Restructure/FA Thread

[RF34]

Post 'em here....there's gonna be more than this

Brisiel’s contract restructured
By Steve Corkran
Monday, March 4th, 2013 at 2:25 pm in Oakland Raiders.

The Raiders are approximately $1.5 million under the salary cap as of now. They got there, in large part, because right guard Mike Brisiel agreed to a restructured contract.

Brisiel’s base salary for 2013 dropped from $4.35 million to $1.35 million as part of the new deal.

Brisiel signed with the Raiders last offseason.

He is slated to earn $3.85 million in base salary in 2014, ‘15 and ‘16. There’s still work to do for general manager Reggie McKenzie between now and the start of free agency, which begins Mar. 12.

However, getting Brisiel on board with a cap-friendly deal for 2013 is a nice start. Now McKenzie can go after other sizable contracts such as those of quarterback Carson Palmer, wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey and defensive tackle Tommy Kelly in an attempt to free up more cap room.

[DeadRinger]

He should have agreed to cut his pay to vet min, given his pathetic play last season.

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Add the Raiders to Cullen Jenkins’ road trip

Posted by Darin Gantt on March 5, 2013, 11:31 AM EST

Cullen Jenkins continues to take advantage of his head start on the free agent market, as the former Eagles defensive lineman keeps adding stops on his West Coast tour.

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Jenkins is set to visit the Raiders tomorrow.

This is after trips this week to see the Seahawks and the 49ers, and last week’s meeting with the Giants.

The 32-year-old clearly has something to offer a good team (there has been Packers speculation as well), but the Raiders aren’t as close to being good as the rest of those teams, so their inclusion speaks to the possibility that he’s not hearing the numbers he wants.

[RF34]

Vic Tafur ‏@VicTafur #Raiders negotiating w/ Philip Wheeler's agent as we tweet. "I'm anxious," Wheeler said over phone. "I'm not sure if it's going well or not"

Vic Tafur ‏@VicTafur Wheeler: "I don't know if coming back (to Oakland) is best scenario or not. I had good time here but I'm not sure who's on team next year."

Vic Tafur ‏@VicTafur Wheeler: "There's plenty of teams out there. It's very important to me to get back to being part of a winning organization."

Wheeler's agent might be looking for an "Al Davis' type deal. I won't be surprised if he isn't back if this is the case....

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Mary Kay Cabot ‏@MaryKayCabot
#Raiders' DT Desmond Bryant on the #Browns' radar in free agency.

[RF34]

Vic Tafur‏@VicTafur
@RNSCOM Raiders set to cut McClain next week, with start of new fiscal year, to spread out salary-cap hit over more seasons

[RF34]

Oakland Raiders save cap space as Tyvon Branch restructures deal

By Steve Corkran
scorkran@bayareanewsgroup.com

ALAMEDA -- The Raiders freed up more than $5 million in salary cap room by restructuring the contract of starting strong safety Tyvon Branch on Thursday, according to a person familiar with the situation.

The Raiders reduced Branch's base salary from $6 million to $715,000 for 2013. In exchange, the Raiders tacked on two seasons to the four-year contract Branch signed last season.

Branch's salaries for 2014 and 2015 remain unchanged. However, he now is slated to earn $6.5 million in 2016 and '17.

Branch was the Raiders' franchise-tag player last season. The long-term contract he ultimately signed superseded the franchise-tag designation and ensured the Raiders keeping Branch in the fold for the next several seasons.

The Raiders now are more than $6 million under the cap, giving them some much-needed ammunition to re-sign some of their own prospective free agents, as well as some from other teams that are about to hit the open market Tuesday.

Earlier this week, the Raiders freed up more than $2 million by restructuring the contract of right guard Mike Brisiel.

Several other players are being targeted for restructured deals, as well, including quarterback Carson Palmer, defensive tackle Tommy Kelly, free safety Michael Huff and wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey.

[Tenebrous]

Vic Tafur ‏@VicTafur #Raiders negotiating w/ Philip Wheeler's agent as we tweet. "I'm anxious," Wheeler said over phone. "I'm not sure if it's going well or not"

Vic Tafur ‏@VicTafur Wheeler: "I don't know if coming back (to Oakland) is best scenario or not. I had good time here but I'm not sure who's on team next year."

Vic Tafur ‏@VicTafur Wheeler: "There's plenty of teams out there. It's very important to me to get back to being part of a winning organization."

Wheeler's agent might be looking for an "Al Davis' type deal. I won't be surprised if he isn't back if this is the case....

It is hard to attrack free agents when the coaching/team is a mess. Will Wheeler take a favorable pay cut just to lose and be a part of this mess? He only has a few years in the NFL, more likely he'll look to get out. Sadly, he is a player that the Raiders should keep.

[RF34]

Kelly expects release from Raiders

Vic Tafur
Updated 11:52 pm, Friday, March 8, 2013

Tommy Kelly is preparing to be released by the Raiders, ending a nine-year run in Oakland for the defensive tackle. He said he hasn't talked to anyone from the organization since the end of the regular season.

"The writing is on the wall," Kelly said. "The team is going in another direction. I'm ready for the next chapter. ... They're ready, too."

Kelly has two years left on the seven-year, $50.1 million deal he signed in 2008, and his release would save the Raiders $4.8 million against the salary cap next season. He was slated to make $6.5 million in 2013 and $7 million in 2014.

Oakland is already $6 million under the salary cap after restructuring guard Mike Brisiel's and safety Tyvon Branch's deals this week. The Raiders enter an exclusive negotiating window Saturday with 17 of their players who can become unrestricted free agents Tuesday.

Kelly, 32, started all 16 games each of the past five seasons, but struggled at times last year - he had only one sack after recording 14 1/2 the previous two seasons.

"It was frustrating, but I am not going to blame the team or the scheme. I had a rough year. I had a couple of nicks, but I'm going to be all right. I am in excellent shape.

"I had a good nine years. My body is straight, I have my health. ... I'm not sad at all."

Besides Kelly, starting defensive tackle Richard Seymour and starting defensive end Matt Shaughnessy will soon become free agents. Talented backups Desmond Bryant and Andre Carter are also likely to be up for grabs Tuesday.

Kelly said starting defensive end Lamarr Houston and Bryant are ready to take the torch from him and Seymour.

"The young guys are ready," Kelly said. "I did my part in helping bring Lamarr and Des along."

Kelly was reminded that Bryant, the fifth-year defensive tackle, is set to be a free agent.

"Yeah, I know that, but they would be crazy to let him go," Kelly said. "He can play anywhere on the line and he is only going to get better, especially if he is starting and playing more."

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What's the Raiders' first move?

The new league year begins today at 1 p.m. PT and under the previous regime, fans would have expected the Raiders to go all in on free agency and look to make a splash with a signing...or five.

But those days are long gone. Not that the Raiders and second-year general manager Reggie McKenzie are asleep at the wheel. It's just that they have a plan, one more deliberate and with an eye on the future more than in the past.

So what is Oakland's first move of the NFL's new year? Probably handling one, or five, of its own 17 in-house unrestricted free agents. And that means re-signing, in no particular order, linebacker Philip Wheeler, who led the Raiders with 109 tackles, defensive tackle Desmond Bryant, who tied for the team lead with four sacks, and tight end Brandon Myers, who had a team-best 79 receptions.

And if they do sign them immediately, it makes you wonder why they did not do so when they had the exclusive negotiating window. But as one league source said, it's not as easy as it sounds, and Wheeler knows this…otherwise, it would have been done already.

Last week's restructuring of contracts belonging to right guard Mike Brisiel and strong safety Tyvon Branch reportedly gave the Raiders some $8.5 million in salary cap room.

So also keep an eye on developments with defensive tackle Tommy Kelly ($11.099.270 million cap number), receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey ($10.601 million) and quarterback Carson Palmer ($15.335 million) to provide even more room.

But as noted above, the Raiders are in no hurry.