What a week and it is just Monday!
Javon Walker, Greg Ellis, Cornell Green are out, is Anthony Becht in?
Walker, the biggest bust in free agency history is finally gone. He is making money this season, on or off the roster. So this is a statement that, Walker wasn’t even worthy of being the 53rd man on a bad team.
Green signed for way too much money in Buffalo, but the guess is that the Bills will be a run heavy team next season, and that is one area where Green really does well. No one will miss him in Silver and Black. No wonder the Raiders re-signed Khalif Barnes. The Raiders need the bodies, at least.
Cutting DE Greg Ellis is the most surprising, but the according to Michael Lombardi, his contract became fully guaranteed if he was on the roster next week.
Considering the rise of Matt Shaughnessey and Ellis’ injury history may be the likely reason he is gone. The other, is that the Raiders may be targeting one of the premium pass rushing Defensive Ends in April’s draft. Jason Pierre-Paul is an Al Davis type of player, but there are several of them that are worthy of a top 10 pick.
Anthony Becht was visiting the Raiders today and he is a perfect complement to Zach Miller. A good blocker that can catch a pass when needed. He is a better version on Tony Stewart. Brandon Myers showed potential, but is a worse version of Zach Miller.
For once, the Raiders (outside of resigning Barnes), are seemingly making all the right moves. They didn’t bite on any overpriced free agents, they are cutting overpriced, underproductive, over-age players and while one can question the restricted free agent tenders Al Davis slapped on Morrison and Routt, those are really non-moves.
No one has signed Morrison and Routt’s tender while insane, really has very little impact besides ensuring Routt is a Raider in 2010 with a nice contract.
Morrison’s tag was likely the Raiders daring a team to take him and hoping to receive a free 3rd round selection in a very deep draft. It remains to be seem if that will happen. The Raiders could always threaten to match a team’s offer and demand a player or more picks as well.
Morrison was very poor against play action and against the pass in general last season. He also was less than spectacular against the run if you take out the Giants game in which they basically ran the ball after the 1st quarter and the Chiefs game in which they were minus Dwayne Bowe.
His perceived value is much higher than his actual value. Raiders were smart enough to take advantage of that.
While I love Captain Kirk, as he grew up a Raider fan, you must use your head and not your heart to win in the NFL.