Raiders, Justin Ellis Agree To Extension
Raiders defensive tackle Justin Ellis has agreed to terms on a three-year deal worth more than $15MM, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The deal includes more than $6MM in guaranteed cash. 
Ellis was scheduled to reach free agency on Wednesday and ranked as one of PFR’s ten best available interior linemen. Ellis, 27, has been a staple on the Raiders’ defensive line for the last four seasons. Last year, he appeared in every game for Oakland and started in 14 of those contests.
Ellis doesn’t have gaudy stat lines on his resume, but he is a valuable run stuffer at nose tackle. Last season was his best campaign to date, according to Pro Football Focus, as he ranked 45th amongst interior defensive linemen.
In other Raiders news, coach Jon Gruden met with running back Doug Martin this week and came away impressed. Whether the Martin meeting results in a deal or not, it’s probably not a great sign for Marshawn Lynch‘s future with the team.
Raiders High On RB Doug Martin
Raiders coach Jon Gruden met with former Bucs running back Doug Martin and came away impressed with him as a person, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Rapoport adds that the Raiders are expected to make a strong push for Martin in free agency. 
The Raiders’ interest in Martin is interesting in light of Marshawn Lynch‘s unclear status with the team. Lynch is slated to earn $4MM in 2018 with up to $4MM in bonuses and it’s possible that the Raiders will move on from him before free agency gets underway.
Martin profiles as more of a complementary ‘back than a primary one in the wake of a down season in Tampa Bay. The 29-year-old missed time due to a PED suspension last year and has averaged just 2.9 yards per carry over the last two campaigns. Gruden likely doesn’t see Martin as a one-for-one replacement for Lynch, but he could be part of a running back by committee approach, one that is less costly than having Lynch at the top of the depth chart. Alternatively, he may view Martin as a solid backup for Beast Mode.
Martin topped 1,400 yards as a rookie and did it again in 2015, but he has not cleared 500 yards in his other four NFL seasons.
Raiders Won't Re-Sign Jon Condo
- Long snapper Jon Condo will not be re-signed by the Raiders, as Condo himself announced on his Twitter account. This was the expected result after Oakland inked two long snappers to futures deals this winter, tweets Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. A two-time Pro Bowler, Condo had spent all but one season of his dozen-year career in Oakland.
Raiders Release LB Aldon Smith
Aldon Smith‘s time with the Raiders has officially come to an end. On Monday, the Raiders announced that Smith has been released from his contract. 
Smith was named as a suspect in an alleged domestic violence incident over the weekend and cops were searching for him as recently as Sunday night. On Monday morning, TMZ Sports learned that Smith has checked into rehab. Given his history, the Raiders didn’t have to think hard about moving on from Smith.
Smith posted 3.5 sacks for Oakland in nine games during the 2015 season before being hit with a one-year suspension. He also served a nine-game ban in 2013 for violating the league’s personal conduct and substance abuse policies. Despite all of that, GM Reggie McKenzie handed Smith a two-year, $11.5MM deal in the spring of 2016.
The former first-round pick has not seen the field since November 15, 2015. At this rate, he may never don an NFL jersey again. He’s already under suspension for previous off-the-field incidents, so he’s nowhere near the radar of any club at this time.
Smith stands as one of the greatest wastes of talent in recent NFL history. In his second year as a pro, Smith amassed 19.5 sacks and 66 total tackles for the 49ers, en route to Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro selections. Even in an abbreviated 2013 campaign, Smith tallied 8.5 sacks and 34 tackles in 11 contests.
Police Searching For Aldon Smith
Aldon Smith was identified as a suspect in an alleged domestic violence incident. Police are pursuing Smith, who fled the scene Sunday after this incident occurred, Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com reports.
The victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries after this alleged altercation, which is believed to have occurred Saturday night, and the San Francisco Police Department has begun a search for the 28-year-old Smith. Bair reports SFPD Special Victims Unit would like to interview Smith upon apprehension.
Smith, who TMZ reported got engaged last week, is currently suspended from the NFL for previous off-the-field infractions. Charges being filed for this would make it difficult to believe he could work his way back into the league.
Bair reports that the two-year Raiders contract Smith signed in 2016 is not believed to have tolled for 2016 but adds that he would still be a member of the Raiders if he were reinstated. While it’s highly unlikely he’ll ever play for the Raiders again, Smith still being tied to the team would seemingly mean the 2017 season did toll.
That seems like immaterial at this point due to the litany of legal issues the former All-Pro outside linebacker has encountered.
Smith cooperated with a domestic violence investigation in February 2017 and was the passenger of a vehicle his girlfriend drove into an unmanned police car in March of last year. Reports from last year did not indicate the former first-round pick was particularly close to being reinstated after he’d applied in fall 2016. It’s quite possible Smith will not play in the NFL again. He has not played in a game since November 2015.
Raiders Notes: Johnson, Robinson
- Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson is expected to be the Raiders‘ No. 1 free agent target, according to Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.net. Johnson is not expected to be retained by Los Angeles after it acquired fellow defensive back Marcus Peters from the Chiefs last month. After receiving the franchise tag in each of the past two seasons, the 28-year-old Johnson will finally hit the open market as one of the league’s top free agent corners. Oakland, meanwhile, is looking for a veteran corner to pair with 2017 first-round pick Gareon Conley, who barely played during his rookie campaign. The Raiders have already released one starting member of their secondary in David Amerson, and figure to do the same with Sean Smith.
- While the Raiders have interest in Johnson, another Bay Area team — the 49ers — is also expected to pursue the free agent corner, as Pauline reports in a separate piece. San Francisco ranked just 28th in pass defense DVOA a season ago, and are not expected to re-sign its top cornerback in Dontae Johnson. Thus, the 49ers not only have a clear need atop their secondary depth chart, but have gobs of cap space: at nearly $70MM, San Francisco currently ranks fifth in available cap room.
- If the Raiders miss out on Johnson, they could turn their attention to Eagles free agent CB Patrick Robinson, per Pauline. Robinson has played outside corner in the past, but posted arguably the best season of his career as Philadelphia’s slot cornerback in 2017. T.J. Carrie, who saw the majority of the slot action for the Raiders last year, is an unrestricted free agent, so the 31-year-old Robinson would make for a ready-made replacement. The Eagles, notably, have interest in re-signing Robinson, while Pauline reports the Cardinals could also make a bid.
49ers To Pick 9th, Raiders To Pick 10th
The order for the 2018 draft is officially in the books. The 49ers won the coin toss for the rights to the No. 9 pick on Friday afternoon. The Raiders will now pick 10th. Beyond the first round, the Niners, Raiders, and Dolphins will alternate draft order due to their identical records.
The 49ers and Raiders both finished the year with matching 6-10 record and an identical strength of schedule. Typically, conference record is the next tiebreaker, but because the two teams are in different divisions and conferences, the logjam was settled with a coin flip.
The Raiders aren’t the only losers in today’s toss. The Patriots hold the rights to the Niners’ second-round pick thanks to the Jimmy Garoppolo trade and they’ll now pick at No. 43 overall instead of No. 41.
Here is the complete rundown of this year’s draft order:
1. Cleveland Browns (0-16)
2. New York Giants (3-13)
3. Indianapolis Colts (4-12)
4. Cleveland Browns (via the 4-12 Houston Texans)
5. Denver Broncos (5-11)
6. New York Jets (5-11)
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-11)
8. Chicago Bears (5-11)
9.San Francisco 49ers (6-10)
10. Oakland Raiders (6-10)
11. Miami Dolphins (6-10)
12. Cincinnati Bengals (7-9)
13. Washington Redskins (7-9)
14. Green Bay Packers (7-9)
15. Arizona Cardinals (8-8)
16. Baltimore Ravens (9-7)
17. Los Angeles Chargers (9-7)
18. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
19. Dallas Cowboys (9-7)
20. Detroit Lions (9-7)
21. Buffalo Bills (9-7)
22. Buffalo Bills (via the 10-6 Kansas City Chiefs)
23. Los Angeles Rams (11-5)
24. Carolina Panthers (11-5)
25. Tennessee Titans (9-7)
26. Atlanta Falcons (10-6)
27. New Orleans Saints (11-5)
28. Pittsburgh Steelers (13-3)
29. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6)
30. Minnesota Vikings (13-3)
31. New England Patriots (13-3)
32. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
Latest On Marshawn Lynch
- Marshawn Lynch is not a lock to make the Raiders‘ 2018 roster, and for what it’s worth, the veteran running back reportedly became a “problem” for Oakland’s previous coaching staff in 2017, reports Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link). Lynch, who got better from an on-field perspective as last season progressed, is scheduled to earn a $4MM base salary next year, and also has a $1MM roster bonus due by March 3, so the Raiders will likely decide on his future with the club by the weekend.
Dion Lewis Expected To Draw Interest From 6-7 Teams
Patriots free agent running back Dion Lewis is expected to draw significant interest on the free agent market, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Lewis, who is reportedly seeking a $6MM annual salary, is likely to draw the eye of the Jets, Texans, 49ers, Raiders, and Colts, per Florio. New York, San Francisco, and Indianapolis are each facing vacancies in their backfields, but a Lewis addition in Houston or Oakland would presumably lead to the release of Lamar Miller or Marshawn Lynch, respectively.
The Patriots had a cavalcade of running backs on their roster in 2017, but Lewis was the best of the bunch. The 27-year-old Lewis posted the most outstanding season of his career in 2017, toting the ball 180 times for 896 yards (both team highs), managing 214 yards on 32 receptions, and scoring 10 total touchdowns (including one in the return game). Lewis ranked first in Football Outsiders‘ DYAR metric, sixth in broken tackles, and sixth in Pro Football Focus‘ pass-blocking grades.
Lewis isn’t the only free agent running back about whom New England needs to worry. Rex Burkhead is also scheduled to hit the open market later this month, so while the Patriots still employ James White, Brandon Bolden, and Mike Gillislee they could see a great deal of turnover in their backfield over the coming weeks.
Latest On Michael Crabtree, Marshawn Lynch
Recent comments from Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie and coach Jon Gruden have indicated that running back Marshawn Lynch and wide receiver Michael Crabtree will be with the team in 2018. However, nothing has been decided on either front, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review Journal hears. 
From a talent perspective, both players would be worthwhile contributors for the Raiders. However, their salaries are an issue. Crabtree is scheduled to earn a $7MM salary with just over $1MM in potential incentives. Lynch, meanwhile, is on the books with a $4MM salary plus up to $4MM in bonuses. Those numbers don’t sit right with the team’s braintrust, which is now headed by new head coach Jon Gruden, and it could result in one or both of the players not being a part of the team this fall.
At minimum, we should get some clarity on Lynch’s situation soon. The veteran is due a $1MM roster bonus on March 18, so the Raiders will have to make a call before that date. With free agency getting underway on March 14, it would behoove Oakland to figure things out for both players in the next two weeks.
Last season, Crabtree posted his worst season as a Raider, managing only 58 reception and 618 yards in 14 games. Lynch, meanwhile, was excellent down the stretch (perhaps as he got into better condition): the 31-year-old averaged 5.17 yards per carry over Oakland’s final five games and scored twice.