NFL Waiver Priority Now Based On 2017 Record
We’re coming up on Week 4 of the NFL season and that means that waiver claim priority will be based on the current league standings instead of last year’s. Of course, waiver priority is based on the inverted NFL standings, which have built in tiebreakers to sort out the many logjams that naturally occur.
Throughout the offseason and the first three weeks of the regular season, the Browns enjoyed top priority thanks to their 1-15 finish last year. Now, we have a brand new pecking order. Here is a full rundown of the current waiver claim priority, which will change from week to week (Twitter links via Field Yates of ESPN.com):
T-1. Bengals
T-1. Browns
T-1. 49ers
4. Giants
5. Chargers
6. Colts
T-7. Texans
T-7. Seahawks
9. Cardinals
10. Jets
11. Saints
12. Bears
13. Dolphins
14. Buccaneers
15. Ravens
T-16. Panthers
T-16. Cowboys
T-16. Rams
T-16. Steelers
T-20. Broncos
T-20. Lions
T-20. Packers
23. Vikings
T-24. Bills
T-24. Jaguars
T-24. Patriots
T-24. Raiders
T-24. Eagles
T-24. Titans
30. Redskins
31. Chiefs
32. Falcons
Raiders Discussing Lease Extension With Oakland Coliseum
The Raiders are signed to play home games at Oakland Coliseum through the 2018 season, but with their Las Vegas venue not set to be ready by 2020 at the earliest, the team is tentatively expected to stay in the Bay Area in 2019 as well.
However, this franchise may go by the “Oakland Raiders” for longer than expected. The Raiders and Bay Area authorities are discussing an extension to the current lease, with Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reporting these talks are about staying in Oakland past the 2019 season.
Issues about stadium construction and with the new arrangement with UNLV, which will share the stadium, have induced the Raiders to consider a fourth season as a lame-duck tenant in Oakland. Unlike the Rams and Chargers in Los Angeles, the Raiders aren’t at the point where a delay their stadium’s unveiling is a certainty, per La Canfora. But talks are commencing with Oakland about a post-2019 partnership. Although, it’s still unclear if the sides have an agreement in place for 2019.
“They’re talking about adding on at least one more year in Oakland,” a source informed La Canfora about a possible 2020 season in northern California.
La Canfora reports the director of the Coliseum Commission is open to such an arrangement. However, we heard earlier this year Oakland was considering concluding the sides’ relationship after the 2018 lease expires.
The NFL insider adds the Raiders might be using a lease extension in their current city as leverage in the UNLV talks — which have become somewhat contentious, prompting the university to hire a pricey lawyer to handle negotiations with the relocating NFL team — but at the same time are coming to grips with the fact they may need a stadium solution for the 2020 season.
Karl Joseph Justifying Draft Positon
2016 first-round pick Karl Joseph has justified his draft position through the first two games of this season, writes Scott Blair of CSNBayArea.com. The Raiders safety has compiled 14 tackles, one sack, one pass defended, and one forced fumble through the first two weeks. The team’s coaching staff is predictably happy with his production, although they expected this from the West Virginia product.
Details On Donald Penn's Contract
- Donald Penn’s new two-year, $21MM extension with the Raiders will not give him a raise from the $6.4MM he was due in 2017, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. However, he did get a $3MM guarantee in 2018 in exchange for signing on for two more years. In 2019, he’s slated to earn a non-guaranteed $6MM, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets. As previously reported, he could get guarantees that extend into the 2019 season based on how well he plays in 2017.
Donald Penn Once Thought He'd Retire After 2017
- Left tackle Donald Penn expected the two-year deal he signed with the Raiders in 2016 t0 be his last contract, according to Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area. Penn didn’t show signs of slowing down last season, though, leading him to shelve any thoughts of retirement. He’s now under Raiders control through 2018 after inking an extension Friday. The 34-year-old believes the new pact will ensure that he’ll retire a Raider, which would be a “childhood dream,” as he told Bair and other reporters. Penn, who held out over the summer, noted that he wasn’t optimistic an agreement would come. “There was a lot of doubt (about getting a new deal),” he said. “I didn’t want to hit free agency again. I told them, ‘You know how much I love you guys. Show me how much you guys love me back, and let’s get this done so I can retire a Raider.’
Raiders, Donald Penn Agree To Extension
It’s a done deal. The Raiders and tackle Donald Penn have agreed to a two-year, $21MM extension, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
The new deal will give him guarantees that go into the 2018 season. In addition to that, he could get guarantees in 2019 based on how well he plays this year.
Penn was a summer holdout, but he reported to the team near the end of August. The 34-year-old came back to the Raiders without the deal he wanted, but they took care of him roughly three weeks later. Initially, he was slated to earn a $5.8MM base salary for 2017 before reaching free agency.
Penn didn’t quite reach the top ten money he was seeking, but his new money average of $10.5MM isn’t far off from Andrew Whitworth‘s $11.25MM average annual value. His previous deal’s average annual value had him outside of the top 20 tackles in the NFL, so it’s a clear step up.
Over the last ten years, Penn has not missed a single regular season game. Last year, he graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 12 tackle in the NFL.
Raiders, Donald Penn Nearing Extension
The Raiders and left tackle Donald Penn are closing in on a two-year extension, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The deal should be completed by this week, he adds. 
Penn held out from the Raiders for nearly a month before reporting towards the end of August. Penn was pushing for an increase over his $5.8MM base salary for 2017 and it appears that he’ll either get a bump for this year or a nice chunk of change starting in 2018.
Raiders brass told Penn that they would discuss an extension if he suited up for team activities. It seems the organization has kept its word.
“We don’t talk contracts unless a guy is here,” said GM Reggie McKenzie over the summer.
Penn is 34, but he stands as one of the game’s best offensive tackles. He has been seeking top ten money and the new contract should at least put him close to that. His previous deal’s average annual value had him outside of the top 20 tackles in the NFL.
Over the last ten years, Penn has not missed a single regular season contest. Last year, he graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 12 tackle in the NFL.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/12/17
Tuesday’s practice squad moves…
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: QB Josh Woodrum
- Cut: TE Ryan Malleck
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Malachi Dupre
- Cut: WR Daikiel Shorts
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR Mario Alford
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: LB Johnathan Calvin, WR Devin Lucien
- Cut: WR Fred Brown, S Ronald Martin
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: DL Rickey Hatley
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: RB Daniel Lasco
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: LB Max Valles
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: T Victor Salako, CB De’Vante Bausby
- Cut: CB C.J. Smith, WR Greg Ward
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DB Jarnor Jones
- Cut: LB Ben Boulware
Seattle Seahawks
- Cut: WR Kenny Lawler, OT Jarron Jones
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: TE Tim Semisch, OL Cody Wichmann
- Cut: TE Jerome Cunningham, OL Steven Moore
Sebastian Janikowski Could Return This Year
Although the Raiders placed kicker Sebastian Janikowski on injured reserve on Saturday, he won’t require surgery for the disc issue in his back, meaning he could return later this season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
However, roster management problems could certainly prevent Janikowski from coming back this year. Although the NFL now allows two players to return from injured reserve following an eight-week absence, Oakland is already planning to use one of its slots on second-round safety Obi Melifonwu. With only one IR/designated to return spot remaining, the Raiders may not want to waste that space on a specialist such as Janikowski.
Janikowski, who agreed to a ~$1MM pay reduction last week, has been the Raiders’ kicker since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2000. The 39-year-old boasts a career field goal percentage of 80.4, and performed a notch above that level in 2016, nailing 82.9% of his kicks. Oakland gained 5.3 points of field position on field goals last season, good for fifth in the league, per Football Outsiders.
Janikowski’s replacement, Giorgio Tavecchio, has converted all four of his field goal attempts today — he’s been good from 20, 43, and (twice) 52 yards.
Raiders To Place Sebastian Janikowski On IR
The Raiders will open the season with a kicker other than Sebastian Janikowski for the first time since the 20th century on Sunday, because the team placed the 18th-year veteran on IR Saturday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Janikowski’s struggled with a back injury during the preseason. In Janikowski’s place, Giorgio Tavecchio is in line to make his NFL debut Sunday against the Titans, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets. The Raiders signed Tavecchio to their practice squad on Friday after taking him to training camp the past two years.
Schefter notes (via Twitter) the Raiders promoted Tavecchio from the practice squad. The Raiders were concerned about Janikowski’s back for some time, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reporting (on Twitter) the kicker hadn’t felt right in weeks.
A disc injury will shelve Janikowski for at least half the season, but the situation could be complicated. The Raiders are planning to make rookie safety Obi Melifonwu one of their IR-DTR players, and teams only have two such spots. So it’s possible this injury ends Janikowski’s season, depending on what transpires on the Oakland injury front during the first half of the season. The Raiders waited until December of last year to recall defensive end Mario Edwards, but it would certainly be interesting if they held a spot for a kicker.
This has been quite the newsworthy week involving the longest-tenured player in Raiders history. Oakland worked out three recently released kickers — Josh Lambo, Mike Nugent and Marshall Koehn — and a pay-cut agreement commenced, reducing Janikowski’s 2017 salary from $4MM to $3MM. This followed an initial impasse that involved the longtime specialist refusing to accept a pay reduction. That $3MM figure is guaranteed in this the last season of Janikowski’s latest Raiders contract.
The 2000 first-round pick has only missed four games with the Raiders, and his 268 are the most any Raider’s ever played.
Lambo, Nugent and Koehn will be names to monitor, since it’s unlikely Tavecchio will have surefire job security. He’ll have to perform to stave off a potential veteran add. Also a left-footed kicker, Tavecchio kicked for Cal from 2008-11.