Once again the Oakland Raiders continue to shake up their roster with contract extensions, trades and free agent signings.
Since the acquisition of Taylor Lewan, the Raiders have been busy in trying to re-sign their talent for the future.
What is interesting is the falling out with tight end David Ausberry and receiver Denarius Moore. According to sources, Ausberry was unhappy with his role in the office and being dropped into the cracks of the depth charts. He was replaced with second year player Mychal Rivera who has stepped up and played a big role in the Raiders’ offense. Ausberry turned down a 2-year $2.6 million contract with no bonus. He felt disrespected by not being used in the offense and given a low offer. The Raiders felt that his attitude was going to set the team back and decided to move on and get something in return before he hit the market. Coach/General Manager Max Farias was not available for comment.
| Week 6 | ||||
| Released | Kevin Boothe | Center | ||
| FA Signing | Ras-I Dowling | Cornerback | 1 – Year | $720 K |
| Re-signed | Marquette King | Punter | 4 – Years | $5.02 M |
| Re-signed | Denarius Moore | Receiver | 5 – Years | $7.61 M |
| Week 7 | ||||
| Released | Matt McCants | Right Tackle | ||
| Traded | David Ausberry | Tight End | ||
| Traded | Denarius Moore | Receiver | ||
| Traded for | Chris Clemons | Free Safety | ||
| FA Signing | Brandon Thomas | Right Guard | 1 – Year | N/A |
| Re-signed | Stefen Wisniewski | Center | 5 – Years | $41.2 M |
| Re-signed | Rod Streater | Receiver | 4 – Years | $15.3 M |
| Re-signed | Andre Holmes | Receiver | 3 – Years |
$3.80 M |
To add more fuel to the fire, the Raiders traded Denarius Moore along with Ausberry to the Texans for the rights to free safety Chris
What is interesting is the falling out with tight end David Ausberry and receiver Denarius Moore. According to sources, Ausberry was unhappy with his role in the office and being dropped into the cracks of the depth charts. He was replaced with second year player Mychal Rivera who has stepped up and played a big role in the Raiders’ offense. Ausberry turned down a 2-year $2.6 million contract with no bonus. He felt disrespected by not being used in the offense and given a low offer. The Raiders felt that his attitude was going to set the team back and decided to move on and get something in return before he hit the market. Coach/General Manager Max Farias was not available for comment.
To add more fuel to the fire, the Raiders traded Denarius Moore along with Ausberry to the Texans for the rights to free safety Chris Clemons. Moore was the Raiders slot receiver and just finished signing a 5-year $7.61 million contract. Sources say that despite Moore having potential, he just could not hold onto the ball when making a catch. He has been in the dog house for a while and lost Coach Farias’ trust. Rumors say that his re-signing was a way of prepping and sweetening the deal with the Texans.
The signing of Chris Clemons is interesting because what we might have here is the replacement for 17-year veteran Charles Woodson. It’s not clear if Woodson plans to return after this season but the Raiders are set at free safety for the next few years.
The addition of Brandon Thomas adds more depth to the Oakland offensive. They have a lot of young talent but they are raw and will need time to develop. There is a possibility that Thomas may get a push at one of the guard spots depending on the performance of Austin Howard and Gabe Jackson. Perhaps the Raiders might make a push to move Howard in the off-season.
The re-signings of players such as Wisniewski, Streater, Holmes, and even punter Marquette King proves that the Raiders are determined to build a young and talented roster for years to come. Let’s just see if the moves that management has made now and in the future will pay off. Only time will tell.