Raiders, Gareon Conley Talking Contract

Rookie Gareon Conley could conceivably face sexual assault charges stemming from his pre-draft incident. That issue complicates things when it comes to his contract, but the Raiders are not necessarily going to wait for a resolution to things before hammering out a deal. Talks are underway and ongoing, Mike Florio of PFT hears. Gareon Conley (vertical)

The Raiders investigated the allegations against Conley as thoroughly as possible in the days leading up to the draft. Presumably, the Raiders felt that any sexual conduct Conley engaged in was consensual. They likely assumed that he would be cleared of any wrongdoing before the start of training camp, but that might not happen with a little over week to go.

It remains to be seen whether the Raiders will actually ink Conley to a contract before his case is resolved. If they do, they may push for protections that wouldn’t ordinarily be in a rookie’s contract. Conley’s camp may bristle at the notion of accepting less guaranteed money than a typical No. 24 overall pick or allowing the Raiders to have extra escape hatches in the deal.

Beyond the murkiness of his legal situation, the two sides could also butt heads over the guarantees of Conley’s slot versus the guarantees of players drafted around him. Jarrad Davis, taken with the No. 21 overall pick, had his full four-year deal guaranteed. Dolphins rookie Charles Harris, taken No. 22 overall, has 97.31% guaranteed. Giants rookie Evan Engram, selected with the 23rd pick, has more than 96% of his deal locked in. The Raiders may not be inclined to give Conley a deal like Engram’s in light of his off-the-field circumstances.

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