This Date In Transactions History: Raiders Extend OL Gabe Jackson
Four years ago today, it looked like Gabe Jackson could be playing for the Raiders for the rest of his career. Of course, as we’ve learned many times, we shouldn’t assume that a player will stick with a team for the entirety of his extension.
On June 29, 2017, the Raiders inked the offensive lineman to a five-year, $56MM deal, a pact that included $26MM in guaranteed money. The deal was expected to keep Jackson with the team through at least the 2022 campaign.
The 2014 third-round was an immediate contributor after joining the organization, and up to the signing of the extension, Jackson had started 44 of his 45 regular season appearances. The Mississippi State product didn’t always grade out as one of the best offensive guards; in 2016, he was only ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 22nd-best player at his position. However, Jackson provided the offensive line with more consistency and continuity, something that was especially important after the organization inked quarterback Derek Carr to a massive extension only weeks before.
With the signing, the Raiders locked themselves into two of the highest-paid offensive guards in the NFL, as the team had previously signed Kelechi Osemele to a five-year, $58.5MM contract. Jackson’s $56MM pact ranked behind only two offensive guards: Bengals’ Kevin Zeitler (five years, $60MM) and Osemele. Jackson was also second to Zeitler’s $31.5MM in guarantees.
After signing the extension, Jackson didn’t see a sudden turnaround in production, as PFF still ranked him as a middling offensive guard. However, Jackson did see a turnaround in his reliability…in other words, he started to miss more and more time due to injuries. He missed nine games for the Raiders between the 2017 and 2019 seasons, and the front office started shopping the lineman during the 2020 draft.
They didn’t find a taker for Jackson, and the veteran managed to appear in all 16 games for the Raiders in 2020, making it the first time the lineman had accomplished that feat since 2016. Still, the Raiders were hoping to somewhat revamp their offensive line this offseason, and we learned in early March that the Raiders were planning on releasing Jackson after he refused a pay cut.
However, Las Vegas found a trade partner at the last second, and the team shipped Jackson to the Seahawks for a fifth-round pick (which eventually transformed into Illinois cornerback Nate Hobbs). The Seahawks subsequently extended Jackson to a three-year, $22.58MM deal.
The Raiders did manage to get 55 starts out of Jackson after he signed his new deal, including 40 starts that were played under the extension. Still, the Raiders were surely expecting more when they inked the lineman on this date in 2017.
AFC West Notes: Raiders, Jefferson, Broncos, Massie
During an appearance on HBO’s The Shop: Uninterrupted, Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady discussed his reactions to a potential 2020 free agent suitor pulling out of the sweepstakes to stick with their incumbent signal-caller.
“There was a story, in free agency, one of the teams, they were interested and all of sudden they weren’t interested at the very end,” Brady said. “I was sitting there thinking, you’re stick with that [expletive]? Are you serious?
“When I look back I’m like, there’s no [expletive] way I would’ve went to that team. But they said they didn’t want me. I know what that means, I know what that feels like.”
There’s been plenty of speculation about the mystery team and quarterback that Brady was referring to, and Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com cites multiple league sources who believe the future Hall of Famer was referring to the Raiders and Derek Carr. Las Vegas had been mentioned as a potential Brady suitor during the 2020 offseason, but the organization dropped out of the sweepstakes after balking at Brady’s long list of requests. As Florio notes, Brady had his chance at payback last season, when he tossed four touchdowns in a 45-20 Tampa Bay victory over Las Vegas.
Unless Brady unexpectedly reveals who he was talking about, we’ll never truly know if it was the Raiders. Plenty of other teams and quarterbacks have been mentioned, including the Bears/Mitch Trubisky and the Titans/Ryan Tannehill. The 49ers and former teammate Jimmy Garoppolo have been a popular suggestion, but considering Brady’s lifelong affinity for San Francisco (and his declaration that he was never going to sign with that team in the first place), we can probably cross them off the list.
Here’s more out of the AFC West…
- Quinton Jefferson has played all over the defensive line during his five-year career, but despite the Raiders depth at defensive tackle, the team is still planning to play their free agent acquisition at his natural position. The 28-year-old will be teaming up with the Raiders main offseason acquisition, defensive tackle Yannick Ngakoue, and Jefferson is excited to form a two-headed monster with his good friend and former college teammate. “Yannick is one of the best pass rushers in the NFL right now and he brings that intensity,” Jefferson told The Athletic’s Vic Tafur. “He is going to bring some pressure and help relieve Maxx (Crosby), free Maxx up so that other teams can’t key on one guy. And then hopefully I can bring some interior pressure as well, so we should have a good mix out there. I am excited to see how that all comes together.”
- Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post explores several Broncos players who find themselves on the roster bubble prior to training camp and the preseason. Atop his list is defensive tackle McTelvin Agim, a 2020 third-round pick who was limited to only 110 defensive snaps as a rookie. O’Halloran notes that it’s troubling that the young defensive lineman wasn’t working with the starters during minicamp despite the absences of Mike Purcell and Shelby Harris. Offensive tackle Calvin Anderson, running back Royce Freeman, safety Trey Marshall, and linebacker Derrek Tuszka also earned spots on the list.
- The Broncos brought in both Bobby Massie and Cameron Fleming to compete for the starting right tackle spot, and ESPN’s Jeff Legwold believes Massie will get the first shot at the gig. Massie certainly has the advantage when it comes to experience; the 31-year-old has started 110 of his 118 career games, including each of his eight games in 2020. Meanwhile, Fleming has mostly served as backup throughout his career (91 games, 42 starts), although he did start a career-high 16 games for the Giants last season.
Raiders QB Derek Carr Would “Welcome” Reunion With Davante Adams
Derek Carr has had a rotating cast of receivers since he joined the Raiders as a second-round pick in 2014. So, when he was recently asked about the opportunity to team up with impending free agent wideout (and former college teammate) Davante Adams in 2022, Carr was naturally on board.
[RELATED: QB Derek Carr Discusses Future With Raiders]
“I’ve learned in this business, you never shut the door on anything,” Carr said to Bri Mellon of ABC30 (via NFL.com’s Nick Shook). “I know that he’s obviously the best receiver — everyone said one of the best, he’s the best receiver in the NFL. The guy is unbelievable. He’s been one of my best friends since we were in college together. I love the guy.
“I would always welcome to play with him again. I think it would unlock some things in both of us that people haven’t seen yet. I’m always open to that and I will be recruiting very hard. When that time comes, it will be a full-court press.”
Carr was a two-time Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year during his collegiate career, and a big reason for those accolades was the presence of Adams. Carr threw for 9,187 yards between the 2012 and 2013 seasons, with Adams collecting 3,031 yards through the air (plus 38 touchdowns).
While the Raiders have done some work to improve Carr’s receiving corps (including acquiring Antonio Brown and drafting Henry Ruggs in the first round of the 2020 draft), the Raiders have still had a tight end lead the squad in receiving in each of the past three years (Jared Cook and Darren Waller (twice)). Even assuming that Ruggs is able to develop into a top-end starter, the team would surely still be in the market for some receiving help.
Considering the Packers uncertain future at quarterback, it’s only natural that front offices are dreaming of adding Adams to their offense. Of course, Green Bay could end that sentiment by extending the wideout, or they could alternatively franchise the receiver following the 2021 campaign. Still, if Aaron Rodgers is gone, Adams could push for a trade, in which case Carr and the Raiders would presumably be at the front of the line.
Extra Points: Nassib, Twyman, Buccaneers
In a post on Instagram, Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib announced that he was gay, making the 28-year-old the first active NFL player to come out as gay. Nassib also made an $100K donation to the Trevor Project, a foundation which provides “crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25.”
Support for Nassib was wide spread:
“The NFL family is proud of Carl for courageously sharing his truth today,” commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “Representation matters. We share his hope that someday soon statements like his will no longer be newsworthy as we march toward full equality for the LGBTQ+ community. We wish Carl the best of luck this coming season.”
“Our union supports Carl and his work with the Trevor Project is proof that he – like our membership – is about making his community and this world a better place not for themselves, but for others,” said NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith (via Twitter).
Raiders owner Mark Davis also showed his support for Nassib, noting that the announcement “doesn’t change my opinion of Carl as a man or as a Raider” (via Sam Farmer of the LA Times on Twitter).
Nassib joined the Raiders last offseason on a three-year, $25MM deal with $17MM guaranteed. He finished his first season in Las Vegas with 28 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and nine QB hits in 14 games (five starts).
More news from around the NFL:
- Vikings rookie defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman was shot four times today in Washington D.C., reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Fortunately, the Pitt product is expected to make a full recovery, with agent Drew Rosenhaus noting that there were “superficial, exit wounds” and that his client was simply in the “wrong place, wrong time.” Twyman does not need surgery and x-rays were negative. Minnesota drafted the defensive lineman in the sixth round (No. 199) in this past year’s draft.
- The Vikings also released a statement regarding the shooting: “We have been in direct contact with Jaylen and his family, and we are extremely thankful Jaylen is expected to make a full recovery. At this time we will defer any further comment to the proper authorities.”
- Earlier this month, we learned that Buccaneers rookie Cameron Kinley had been denied a waiver to delay his commission from the U.S. Navy. “Cameron Kinley is an exceptional young man and a shining example of the type of high-character individuals that make our nation’s military the most elite in the world,” the Buccaneers said in a statement (via Rick Stroud on Twitter). “We appreciate and support the United States Naval Academy’s position with regards to Cameron’s fulfillment of his post-graduate service commitment and remain hopeful that he will one day have an opportunity to also fulfill his dreams of playing professional football.”
- Earlier this month, former Chiefs coach Britt Reid pleaded not guilty to a DWI charge that stemmed from a crash that critically injured a young girl (per the AP). Reid was placed on administrative leave following the crash, and the team ultimately let his contract expire.
Raiders Sign Second-Round S Tre’von Moehrig
The Raiders signed first-round pick Alex Leatherwood about a month ago, and now they finally have their second pick locked up. Las Vegas signed second-round safety Tre’von Moehrig to his rookie deal on Monday, the team announced in a release.
Moehrig was the 43rd overall pick of this past draft. He was widely expected to be the first safety off the board and was considered a potential first-rounder, but he ended up slipping a bit and going behind both Jevon Holland (Dolphins) and Richie Grant (Falcons).
The TCU product won the Jim Thorpe Award this past season, given annually to the nation’s top defensive back. He also earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in each of the past two seasons. Across those two years he had six interceptions and 20 passes defended in 22 games.
The Raiders’ secondary was a big weakness last year, and the team is hoping Moehrig can be part of a dramatic improvement. He’s the favorite to start at free safety next to Johnathan Abram.
The Raiders have now inked five of their seven draft picks, with only third-round defensive end Malcolm Koonce and third-round defensive back Divine Deablo remaining unsigned.
Arnette Falling Out Of Favor With Raiders
When the Raiders selected Damon Arnette 19th overall last year, it marked the second straight year the Jon Gruden–Mike Mayock regime stunned draft viewers in Round 1. Despite multiple thumb issues and a placement on the Raiders’ reserve/COVID-19 list, Arnette started seven games as a rookie. Pro Football Focus graded Arnette as a bottom-10 cornerback, however, and the Raiders may not have the Ohio State product in their lineup plans this year. Arnette has nearly drifted off the Raiders’ radar, Vic Tafur of The Athletic notes, adding that Casey Hayward is expected to line up as Las Vegas’ outside corner starter opposite Trayvon Mullen (subscription required). While a few lower-profile corners’ names surfaced during Raiders minicamp this week, Arnette’s was conspicuously absent, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal adds. Talk surfaced last month of Arnette moving into the slot, but Tafur adds that job looks like Nevin Lawson‘s to lose. Arnette did not practice in the slot during minicamp.
- Yannick Ngakoue is in search of a new agent. The recently signed Raiders defensive end left the Wasserman agency this week, according to the Sports Business Journal’s Liz Mullen (on Twitter). This is not a first for the former Jaguars, Vikings and Ravens pass rusher. He left his first NFL agent in May 2018 and made another change last August. Ngakoue’s next agent will be his fourth as a pro. Ngakoue signed a two-year, $26MM deal with the Raiders in March; that pact featured $21MM fully guaranteed.
Raiders Sign LB Darron Lee
A former first-round pick is heading to Las Vegas. The Raiders announced that they’ve signed linebacker Darron Lee. The team also signed cornerback De’Vante Bausby and waived cornerback T.J. Morrison.
Lee, the No. 20 pick of the 2016 draft, disappointed during his three seasons with the Jets, collecting a total of 273 tackles and four sacks in 58 games (38 starts). He won a Super Bowl ring after getting traded to the Chiefs in 2019, but he was limited to mostly a backup role during his lone season in Kansas City. He caught on with the Bills in 2020, seeing time in only a pair of games.
Lee will have an uphill battle to find snaps, as the Raiders have put in work over the past few years to revamp their linebackers depth chart. Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski will once again lead the depth chart, but Lee would still have to overcome the likes of Nicholas Morrow, Tanner Muse, and Divine Deablo for playing time.
Bausby has bounced around the league a bit since going undrafted in 2015. The 28-year-old actually ended up having a career season in 2020, collecting 21 tackles and five passes defended in 11 games with the Broncos (and briefly the Cardinals).
Morrison went undrafted out of Stony Brook in this past year’s draft. He signed with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent back in May.
QB Derek Carr Discusses Future With Raiders
Derek Carr has been the subject of trade rumors over the past few years, but the Raiders quarterback doesn’t intend to play anywhere but Las Vegas. In fact, Carr said today that he’d rather retire than be traded to a new squad.
“I’d probably quit football if I had to play for somebody else,” Carr said (via ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez). “I am a Raider for my entire life. I’m going to root for one team for the rest of my life — it’s the Raiders. So, I just feel that so strong in my heart I don’t need a perfect situation … to make things right.
“I’d rather go down with the ship, you know what I’m saying, if I have to.”
While the front office has continually supported the three-time Pro Bowler, that hasn’t stopped the trade rumors; it was only February that we last heard that Carr could be on the move. While the 30-year-old has managed to put up some solid individual numbers (including a handful of franchise records), the Raiders have only made the playoffs once since he entered the NFL in 2014.
Until the Raiders return to the postseason, there will continue to be question marks surrounding Carr’s future in Las Vegas, but the quarterback made it clear that he wouldn’t consider reversing his fortunes elsewhere.
“I’m that old-school mentality — I’m playing for one team and that’s it,” Carr said. “Whether we’ve won enough or not, I literally give every bit of energy and effort that I can to this organization and when I sign a contract, I completely, in my mind, have to fulfill that. I committed to that. I put my name on paper.”
Carr inked a five-year, $125MM contract in 2017. The deal expires at the end of the 2022 campaign.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/10/21
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Jeff Holland
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived: S Kemah Siverand
New York Jets
- Placed on IR: OL Parker Ferguson
Philadelphia Eagles
- Reverted to IR: WR Trevon Grimes
Raiders To Sign CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson
After five seasons in Atlanta, Blidi Wreh-Wilson will head west. The veteran cornerback agreed to terms with the Raiders on Wednesday, according to his agency (Twitter link).
This marks the sixth straight year Wreh-Wilson has signed a contract. The Falcons kept the former Titans third-round pick around via a series of one-year deals.
Wreh-Wilson played 41 games with the Falcons, operating mostly as a backup. Despite not lasting throughout his rookie contract in Tennessee, the eight-year veteran has managed to carve out a decent career for himself. The Raiders showed interest just before the draft, hosting him on a visit in late April.
The Raiders have brought in multiple veteran corners this offseason, with Casey Hayward and Rasul Douglas now in the fold. The team also drafted Nate Hobbs in the fifth round. Las Vegas used a 2019 second-round pick on Trayvon Mullen and acquired Damon Arnette in the 2020 first. The team has taken a few swings at this position, which has proved difficult to fill.
Wreh-Wilson, 31, did start 11 games for the 2014 Titans. But he settled into a second-string role soon after, and the Titans cut him after their 2016 training camp. Despite not starting any games last season, Wreh-Wilson intercepted a career-high three passes. The 6-foot-1 defender has four picks in his career.