The Raiders will clear a sizable chunk of cap space Monday. They plan to release Lamarcus Joyner, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).
Previously rumored, this move will save Las Vegas $8.7MM. That would bump the Raiders to north of $10MM in cap space. Joyner marks the third key contributor the Raiders have parted ways with over the past few days, with starting guards Gabe Jackson and Richie Incognito out the door as well. This news also comes after a report indicated the Raiders are shopping another of their big-ticket 2019 additions (Trent Brown). They have already cut fellow 2019 signee Tyrell Williams.
Signed to a lucrative deal two years ago, Joyner did not work out as a Raider. After excelling at safety with the Rams, Joyner moved to the slot primarily with the Raiders. Pro Football Focus graded him outside its top 80 corners in each of his two seasons with the Raiders, who will again enter a free agency period needing some coverage help.
Joyner has done well for himself financially over the past three seasons, playing on the franchise tag in 2018 and having signed a four-year, $42MM deal in the spring of ’19. Now 30, Joyner will have to settle for a less enticing salary in 2021 in order to continue his career.
Moving Trent brown and Littleton and mariota helps even further not to mention cutting guys like Arden key and other draft pick flops.
Trent 15 million
Littleton 13 million
Marriota 10 million
In additional to the 10 million available currently. Close to 48 million
They can’t cut Littleton…before June 1 it costs them an extra 5 mill, post June 1 is only saving 600k. Brown and Mariota will be gone though.
I’m not excited about them potentially parting ways with Brown, but I 100% agree on the other two. Having to replace so many OL scares me.
38 million in cap space after brown trade. Marriota is next, they will have close to 50 million in cap space. The year will be make or break for Littleton
At some point, Gruden has to be looked at. Raiders have been worse than awful; they’re boring. Since his return 3 years ago. He bemoans his QB yet won’t draft one, he traded or released most of Mckenzie players, and sits sub 500.
Well he’s got 7 years left so that’s not happening anytime soon.
McKenzie could not spot talent at a strip club using binoculars. Let’s see, Tony Bergstrom: Miles Burris: DJ Fricken Hayden: Sio Moore: —- 2014 Sammy Watkins was the target but he was off the board so Mack was the second: Mario Edwards Jr: Clive Walford: Karl Joesph: Jihad Ward: Shilique Calhoun: Gareon Conley: Obi Melifonwu
Gruden had to clean that mess up and get the books straight. Two years into the rebuild that was slated for five total. Sorry if its boring for you, but at the very least the Raiders are in every game. If you care to do some research you will also find out that half way through the season when the Raiders hit a losing skid — Derek Carr’s Yds/Att increase. Thus a new layer of the playbook is being added and the offense is continuing to stretch the field.
Excellent points. The only other poster that j it’s Sammy Watkins was reggies guy. Been sayin it for years
It doesn’t take 5 years to rebuild lmao. And it’s been 3 years now. Look at niners, rams, dolphins, etc. He took over a team that was a year removed from a legit super contender until Carr got hurt. Gruden did not to completely tear down the roster as much as he did. Most of McKenzies drafts sucked but he had the Raiders best draft in team history in 2014. Mack, Carr, Gabe Jackson, Justin Ellis, TJ Carrie. Give credit where credits due.
Gruden has already created a new salary cap mess and is already replacing his new guys he had brought in. This team is in no way a better position than when he took it over.
A 5 year rebuild? Now that’s absurd. Each year, all teams turn over 12-15 players minimum. Name another organization at either the NCCA D1 or pro level that allows for a 5 year rebuild? Those coaches and GM’s are fired after 3 losing years. Some might last 4.
Yes… a 5 year rebuild. Clearly when he signed a 10 year contract, you probably only called it insane and didn’t actually follow up to find out why. Please name another team that ever signed a coach to a 10 year contract?
Gruden has not created another salary cap mess. All of the contracts are 2-3 year deals that are easily manageable, and with the Joyner release the Raiders have about $23 mil in space. (spotrac)
I ride it hard and follow up because I am not a Jon Gruden apologist and I feel that he owes the organization 2 rings.
Well accept losing, I don’t. He signed that deal because, unlike players non guaranteed contracts, his is. He will walk away w/ $100m fired or not.
They took a guy who was good at something and moved him to a position he wasn’t as good, so I can’t say this shocks me. I feel like Gruden only has a vague idea of what he’s doing. I just wish he’d write a book on how to become legendary at something you’re not at all good at.
Well, to be fair, Gruden also is not a defensive mind. One of his coordinators should have sat him down and told him how stupid it was to insist on putting Joyner in the slot, no matter what kind of defense they wanted to run-especially when they spending picks on safeties as is.
Come to Cleveland Joyner
Not surprising, after playing the guy out of position for years. I don’t know who exactly in the organization is to blame for that, but it was one of the most absurd things to see in the NFL in my mind.