Latest On Raiders, Las Vegas

It’s not a done deal just yet, but all (neon) signs are pointing towards the Raiders moving to Las Vegas. The NFL has set a range for the Raiders’ Las Vegas relocation fee that is far less than what the Rams and Chargers each paid to move to Los Angeles, sources tell Albert Breer of The MMQB. The Raiders would pay between $325MM and $375MM for the right to move to Sin City instead of the $650MM paid by the L.A. teams. That’s one hurdle down for owner Mark Davis, who has less cash at his disposal than most owners.

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Now, the proposed move will likely be put to a vote at next week’s annual league meeting, which is probably a sign that the league feels it has the necessary 24 votes for approval. Specifically, the vote is expected to take place on Monday, NFL.com’s Judy Battista tweets. NFL owners aren’t crazy about the idea of leaving the Bay Area, particularly after the 49ers have left the Raiders an opportunity to add fans in the North and East Bay, but there are no viable proposals to keep the team in Oakland, Breer writes.

Even assuming that the vote passes early next week, there are still some issues that the NFL will want clarity on. Namely, the league will want to see the exact terms of the lease given that the city of Las Vegas will be contributing a record amount of public money. NFL owners want to ensure that the Raiders are getting the appropriate amount of revenue out of the building before OKing the proposal, which is why their approval could be conditional, according to Breer.

There’s also the matter of Sheldon Adelson and his business ties in the city of Las Vegas. Now that he is no longer a partner in the deal, there is some concern in NFL circles that he could use his connections to make life difficult for the Raiders. However, word is that Adelson privately told folks during the Super Bowl in Houston that he wouldn’t stand in the way of the team moving forward without him, Breer hears.

In the longer term, Breer gets the sense that another team could eventually wind up in Oakland, given the area’s potential. The Raiders are not leaving Oakland for lack of fan support or dollars in the region, but rather because of the city’s unwillingness to make a deal that it feels would be heavily tilted against taxpayers. However, things can always change and a new regime in the municipality could help pave the way for the NFL to someday return.