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Raiders, DE Maxx Crosby Agree On Extension

March 11th, 2022 at 3:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Not long after reports of extension talks surfaced, Maxx Crosby will see a big raise. The Raiders locked down their Pro Bowl pass rusher Friday, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com report (on Twitter). The Raiders announced the extension agreement.

Crosby agreed to a four-year, $98.98MM extension; the deal includes $53MM guaranteed. This is a considerable development for a player who entered the NFL as a Day 3 pick from a mid-major program.

This contract bumps Crosby into the upper echelon of edge rushers. At nearly $25MM annually, the former fourth-round pick is now the league’s fourth-highest-paid defensive player. Crosby’s deal tops Aaron Donald‘s, with only T.J. Watt, Joey Bosa and Myles Garrett‘s contracts coming in ahead of his.

This is obviously a major commitment from the Raiders, who saw Crosby quickly usurp draft classmate Clelin Ferrell as their cornerstone defensive lineman. An Eastern Michigan product, Crosby is just 24 and already has 25 sacks on his resume. He played a big part of Las Vegas clinching a playoff berth in Week 18, dominating against the Chargers to cement the team’s first postseason appearance in five years.

Crosby’s extension agreement ties him to the Raiders through the 2026 season. The Raiders are transitioning to a new regime, with Patrick Graham set to take over the defense. Friday’s contract terms certainly illustrate the Dave Ziegler–Josh McDaniels duo’s faith in Crosby, acquired in Jon Gruden‘s second draft running the Raiders. The team still has Yannick Ngakoue under contract for one more season, while Ferrell and Carl Nassib are also signed through 2022.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/10/22

March 10th, 2022 at 11:49pm CST by Ben Levine

The deadline for teams to extend tender offers to their restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents looms next week. We’ll keep tabs on the latest here:

RFAs

Non-tendered:

Raiders To Release LB Cory Littleton

March 10th, 2022 at 5:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the top free agent signings two years ago, Cory Littleton will be back on the market. The Raiders have informed the veteran linebacker he will be released, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

The Raiders brought in multiple veteran linebackers last year and have since hired a new head coach and GM. Although it is not certain, Littleton is certainly a candidate to be designated as a post-June 1 cut. If not, the Raiders would save just $1MM and see $14MM in dead money.

A post-June 1 designation would bring just a $4MM dead-cap hit this year. Las Vegas reworked Littleton’s contract three times over the past year and change, leading to the sizable dead-money number. Indeed, the Raiders are using this designation, Tashan Reed of The Athletic tweets. While the team will not be able to use the cap savings until June, it avoids this eight-figure dead-money sum hitting in 2022.

Despite his production with the Rams, Littleton did not live up to his contract with the Raiders, who signed him to a three-year, $35.25MM deal in 2020. After Littleton played 90% of Las Vegas’ defensive snaps in 2020, one-and-done DC Gus Bradley limited his work to 57% last season. Littleton, who impressed in coverage as a two-year starter with the Rams, made 98 tackles last season and 82 in 2020. He topped 120 stops in both his final two Rams slates.

The Raiders brought in both K.J. Wright and Denzel Perryman at the position. With Patrick Graham now in the DC role, it will be interesting to see how the Raiders address this group. Wright and Nicholas Morrow are free agents, while Perryman and Nick Kwiatkoski remain under contract for 2022.

Raiders’ Kolton Miller, Kenyan Drake Rework Deals

March 10th, 2022 at 8:29am CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders have restructured the contracts of left tackle Kolton Miller and running back Kenyan Drake (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). Between the two moves, the Raiders have carved out an additional $14.525MM in cap space for this offseason. 

[RELATED: Raiders, Crosby In Talks]

Drake joined the Raiders last year on a two-year, $11MM deal. Serving as the Raiders’ second-leading rusher behind starter Josh Jacobs, Drake tallied 254 rushing yards, two touchdowns, and a solid 4.3 yards per carry average last year. He also added 29 grabs for 283 receiving yards and one TD through the air. Unfortunately, his season ended in December with an ankle fracture suffered against Washington.

Around that same time, Miller agreed to a three-year extension worth upwards of $18MM per year. At that time, the advanced metrics were only so-so on his play. But, last year, Miller graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 6 ranked tackle (86.3 overall score) in the NFL. By all accounts and measures, the UCLA product has steadily improved with every season. Miller has played on every snap for the last three seasons and, in 2021, he allowed just 35 total pressures.

The Raiders will direct some of this cash to free agency, though they’re also looking to lock up standout defensive end Maxx Crosby.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/9/22

March 9th, 2022 at 8:06pm CST by Ben Levine

The deadline for teams to extend tender offers to their restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents looms next week. We’ll keep tabs on the latest here:

RFAs

Non-tendered:

ERFAs

Tendered:

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/8/22

March 8th, 2022 at 3:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the latest NFL minor moves:

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

New Orleans Saints

San Francisco 49ers

Raiders Hire Drayton, Schuplinski, Ash

March 7th, 2022 at 9:59pm CST by Sam Robinson
  • Ex-Josh McDaniels Patriots coworker Jerry Schuplinski is now on the Raiders‘ staff as a senior offensive assistant. A Pats staffer from 2013-18, Schuplinski was the Giants’ QBs coach the past two seasons. The Raiders have also hired ex-Jaguars DBs coach Chris Ash to the same position, added ex-Packers special teams coordinator Maurice Drayton as their assistant ST coach and hired Cameron Clemmons as their assistant O-line coach. Additionally, Las Vegas is keeping Jon Gruden‘s son, Deuce, on staff as a strength and conditioning assistant.

Raiders, Maxx Crosby Working On Deal

March 6th, 2022 at 1:31pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders and defensive end Maxx Crosby are working on a new contract that would make him one of the highest-paid defensive players in the NFL, according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic. Meanwhile, they’re prioritizing Crosby’s deal over an extension for quarterback Derek Carr.

[RELATED: Latest On Derek Carr’s Trade Market]

Crosby, a 2019 fourth-round pick, has blossomed into one of the Raiders’ most impactful defenders. The Eastern Michigan product still has one more year to go on his deal, but new Raiders GM Dave Ziegler doesn’t want to let him get anywhere near the open market. Ziegler doesn’t want to show his hand or come on too strong, but he’s hinted that a Crosby contract is on the agenda.

“As we’re kind of going through free agency and getting to the draft, there are going to be some of those organic conversations you’re going to have. I wouldn’t say we’re there yet,” Ziegler said. “I know it’s a curious question and I get that, but we’re just trying to take so many small bites right now. In due time, we’ll look at all those things. But it’s always good to have good players.”

Crosby, 24, earned his trip to the Pro Bowl in 2021 with eight sacks, 30 quarterback hits, 13 tackles for loss, and a league-leading 92 pressures. All in all, he’s got 25 sacks to his credit with perfect attendance throughout his young career. Tafur believes that Crosby could land in the second tier of edge rushers, somewhere behind T.J. Watt ($28MM/year), Joey Bosa ($27MM/year), and Myles Garrett ($25MM/year). A deal similar to that of Chiefs DE Frank Clark (five years, $105.5MM) could make sense, Tafur writes, though it’s worth noting that Clark inked his deal in 2019, before the market really picked up. Crosby also has stronger numbers than Clark, so there’s a case for a higher AAV.

Carr, meanwhile, set a new personal watermark in passing yards (4,804) with 23 touchdowns against 14 interceptions and a 68%+ completion rate. He also brought the Raiders to the playoffs, but the new regime may still prefer to start fresh.

“Multiple Teams” Interested In Derek Carr

March 4th, 2022 at 8:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

With plenty of questions surrounding the biggest names who may or may not be on the quarterback market, other signal callers have generated buzz. One of those is Derek Carr, whose future has been thought to be in doubt given his contract status and the arrival of a new regime in Las Vegas. Not surprisingly, then, Vincent Bonsignore of The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports (via Twitter) that there could be a trade market developing for him. 

[Related: McDaniels Confirms Carr As 2022 Starter]

Specifically, Bonsignore states that “multiple teams have expressed interest” in Carr. Again, that doesn’t come as a surprise, given that he only has one year remaining on his current deal. At a cap hit under $20MM, he would be an appealing acquisition for a number of teams looking for at least a bridge QB in the short- to medium-term. However, new head coach Josh McDaniels said earlier this week there was “no doubt” Carr would remain the Raiders’ starter in 2022.

Once it had been announced that McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler were being hired, there was a reported “mutual admiration” between Carr – who will be 31 by the beginning of next season – and the new men in charge. He set a career high in passing yards last year with 4,804, adding 23 touchdowns while completing over 68% of his passes. Most importantly, he made his playoff debut in his eighth season, all with the Raiders.

While all signs point to Carr remaining in Vegas, Bonsignore adds that outside interest should “continue to heat up” as long as Carr’s future beyond 2022 remains up in the air. Between contract talks, and other QB dominoes falling in the coming days and weeks, more clarity on this situation could be coming soon.

Raiders Hire Matt Feeney As Defensive Assistant

March 3rd, 2022 at 1:47pm CST by Adam La Rose
  • Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network tweets that the Raiders are hiring Matt Feeney as a defensive assistant. The 30-year-old has been a college coach for the past eight years, most recently serving as the defensive coordinator for Akron.

    [SOURCE LINK]
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