Punter Shane Lechler might leave the Oakland Raiders during the break due to the fact that the punter is a free agent and is worth a lot of money.
According to the Bleacher Report, released on Sunday, Lechler is currently making $4 million a year. The Raiders almost lost the punter back in 2009, so they gave him a great contract for four years at $16 million. Those four years are up and he is a free agent once again.
The Raiders picked up Shane Lechler in the fifth round back in 2000, along with Sebastian Janikowski, who was picked in the first round.
Both players have been outstanding with the Raiders, making Oakland’s special teams one of the bests in the NFL. Lechler has also been a seven-time Pro Bowler in his 13 years with the Raiders.
The article reports that general manager Reggie McKenzie wants to get rid of players with “out of whack” contracts. Well, many will agree that a punter making $4 million could certainly be “out of whack.”
The Silver-and-Black is also looking to make some drastic changes for next season. That means, cutting down on overpaid players and such.
So, if Lechler is willing to take a pay cut, he could remain as a Raider. However, since his punt can be considered to be one of the bests in the NFL, other teams will most likely be making some good offers to acquire him.
LINK: http://www.examiner.com/article/shane-lechler-might-possibly-leave-the-oakland-raiders