Raiders Notes: Vegas, Newman
“Things could be on track” for a vote on the Raiders’ potential relocation to take place during the upcoming owners meetings from March 26-29, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy informed Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com. Indeed, the Raiders are “on course” to apply for Las Vegas relocation at the meetings, a source told Gutierrez. If a vote is held, Mark Davis will need 23 of the league’s other 31 owners to sign off on his Vegas plan. Before that happens, though, owners want to know where the Raiders would play in 2019, according to Gutierrez. They’re going to remain in Oakland the next two seasons, and the potential Las Vegas stadium wouldn’t open until 2019, leaving a one-year gap.
- Terence Newman told reporters that his agent spoke with the Raiders on the same day he spoke to the Vikings, but Oakland did not make an offer (Twitter link via Mark Craig of the Star Tribune). Regardless, the Vikings were Newman’s top choice. This week, the cornerback agreed to return to Minnesota for his age-39 season.
FA Rumors: Butler, Poe, Z. Brown, Raiders
Restricted free agent cornerback Malcolm Butler didn’t emerge from his Saints visit on Thursday with a deal, but the meeting “went well,” a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). As of now, there remains motivation on both sides to hammer out an agreement, Rapoport adds. PFR’s Zach Links laid out a few potential scenarios earlier this week involving Butler, who would surely net the Patriots a quality return in a trade.
More free agency-related news:
- The offer that defensive tackle Dontari Poe accepted from the Falcons on Thursday was worth less than the Jaguars’ proposal, reports ESPN’s Josina Anderson (Twitter link). Before taking a one-year, $8MM deal (plus incentives) with the reigning NFC champions, Poe turned down the Jags’ fully guaranteed $9MM (and incentives). Head coach Dan Quinn was key in talking Poe into joining the Falcons, relays Anderson.
- It doesn’t appear that linebacker Zach Brown‘s powwow with the Raiders will lead to a deal, as a source told ESPN’s Adam Caplan that it “looks like a no-go right now” (Twitter link). Although Brown had a stellar 2016 with Buffalo and currently ranks as PFR’s top available linebacker, the market for his services has been tepid.
- Wide receiver Andre Holmes met with the Bills on Thursday, one day after there were reports that he had signed with them, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (via Twitter). It turns out the Bills offered Holmes a three-year, $4.5MM accord, which the NFLPA accidentally documented as a done deal.
- Linebacker Dekoda Watson visited the Seahawks on Thursday, tweets ESPN’s Field Yates. The 29-year-old Watson is a journeyman who has played for five teams, including the Broncos last season. He served as an integral special teams cog in Denver, which would like to re-sign him.
Raiders Sign QB EJ Manuel
The Raiders have signed free agent quarterback EJ Manuel, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). With Derek Carr entrenched as the Raiders’ starting signal-caller, Manuel will presumably compete with Connor Cook for the No. 2 role.
The 26-year-old Manuel now represents the only first-round passer on the Raiders’ roster, having gone 16th overall to the Bills in the 2013 draft. Manuel was never able to grab a strong hold of the starting job in Buffalo, though, as both Kyle Orton and Tyrod Taylor bumped him from the job during his four-year tenure there.
A large portion of Manuel’s action with the Bills came in his rookie season, during which he started in all 10 of his appearances in an injury-shortened campaign and completed 58.8 percent of passes, threw 11 touchdowns against nine interceptions and averaged 6.4 yards per attempt. He has since picked up 17 appearances and seven starts, and has continued to post backup-caliber numbers.
Manuel now reunites with Raiders offensive coordinator Todd Downing, who was the Bills’ quarterbacks coach in 2014.
Raiders To Sign Jared Cook
The best tight end remaining in free agency is coming off the board. The Raiders are signing Jared Cook to a two-year contract worth up to $12.2MM, including a fully guaranteed first year, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). Cook will earn $5MM in 2017, reports ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter).
Oakland was among several teams that targeted Cook, who nearly re-signed with the Packers and also drew interest from the Bills, Seahawks, Lions and Vikings. Minnesota made a strong effort to sign Cook, relays Caplan (on Twitter), but his meeting with the Raiders on Thursday went well enough for a deal to come together with Oakland. Star quarterback Derek Carr helped convince the 29-year-old pass catcher to sign, per Caplan, who tweets that the two “spent a lot of time” with each other – including watching tape – and “bonded.”
Before Carr recruited Cook to the Raiders, he helped lure in receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. Those two will provide further weaponry in a high-octane passing attack whose best options are wideouts Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree. Cook will move atop the Raiders’ tight end depth chart and slot in ahead of Clive Walford and Lee Smith, giving the team an impressive trio at the position.
The Raiders will be the fourth team for Cook, a 2009 third-round pick who has combined for 303 receptions and 17 touchdowns in stints with the Titans, Rams and Packers. In his lone season in Green Bay, Cook appeared in 10 games and caught 30 of 51 targets for 377 yards and a TD. He was far more impressive in the Packers’ two-game playoff run, in which he combined for 13 receptions on 23 targets, 181 yards and two scores.
Thanks to Cook’s agreement, PFR’s top-ranked unsigned tight end is now Luke Willson.
Vikings Sign RB Latavius Murray
The Vikings announced early Thursday morning that they have signed free agent running back Latavius Murray. Murray’s deal with Minnesota is for three years, but can be voided after one season, Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). This means Murray could have a shot at free agency again in 2018 and that could be very lucrative for him if he gets back on track.
If the deal doesn’t void out, it’ll be a three-year deal worth roughly $15MM, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Over the three year period, the deal includes $8.5MM in guaranteed cash, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com tweets. 
The arrival of Murray could spell the end of Adrian Peterson‘s time in Minnesota. Peterson remains in free agent limbo, but it’s hard to see either Peterson or Murray agreeing to a timeshare with one another. Peterson, of course, is a prideful guy and is out to prove that he can still play like a star even after his latest setback. Murray, meanwhile, signed a deal with a one-year escape hatch. In order for him to maximize his value for next spring, he’ll have to get the majority of the carries in Minnesota. I would speculate that Murray’s reps asked the Vikings if they intended on re-signing Peterson. If they had said yes, Murray probably would have sought out this one-year, prove-it situation elsewhere.
Murray averaged 4.0 yards per carry in each of his two seasons as the Raiders’ primary starter. He rushed for 12 touchdowns in 2016, but young upstarts Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington started cutting into his workload. He surpassed 1,000 yards in 2015 but rushed for only 788 last season. The Raiders reportedly had interest in bringing Murray back after he explored the open market, but we haven’t heard much on that front in the last seven days.
This offseason, we’ve seen two players sign multi-year deals with performance-driven clauses that can allow them to escape after one year: Murray and Cordarrelle Patterson. The two offensive standouts switched teams this month with Patterson joining the Raiders and Murray going to Minnesota.
Bills Make Offer To WR Andre Holmes
4:53pm: A Bills spokesperson also says that Holmes has not signed (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com).
It seems that the Bills offered Holes a three-year, $4.5MM deal and the NFLPA accidentally documented it as a done deal rather than an offer. Now, the entire football world knows the exact terms of the Bills’ offer to Holmes, which could be detrimental to both sides. The deal could still go down, but as of right now, Holmes remains a free agent.
3:40pm: Hold up. Holmes took to Twitter to say that any reports of him signing with any team at this time are false. This is a strange development, particularly since ESPN’s report cites NFLPA documents.
3:29pm: It’s rare that NFL free agent deals become official before leaking out, but that’s exactly what happened with the Bills and wide receiver Andre Holmes. Holmes inked a three-year, $4.5MM deal with the Bills, according to NFLPA documents obtained by Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The deal includes $2.425MM guaranteed. 
Wide receiver was a big need for the Bills coming into free agency and the Holmes pickup doesn’t totally check that box. He can be a valuable supporting cast member behind star Sammy Watkins, but it would be a bit underwhelming to see the Bills go into the season with Watkins, Holmes, Dezmin Lewis, and free agent pickups Philly Brown and Jeremy Butler as their top five wide receivers. Walt Powell and Kolby Listenbee are also under contract, giving the team seven receivers in total.
Holmes, 28, spent the past four seasons in Oakland. The former undrafted free agent was a large part of the Raiders’ offense as recently as two years ago, as he posted 47 receptions for nearly 700 yards and four touchdowns during the 2014 campaign. In 2016, however, Holmes had only 14 catches with a larger emphasis on special teams.
LB Zach Brown To Visit Raiders
The Raiders are getting a visit from Bills free agent linebacker Zach Brown, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Oakland is looking to improve its linebacker group after underwhelming overall production in 2016. 
Last week, Brown seemed to hint on Twitter that he won’t be returning to Buffalo. At the same time, the market for Brown has been slow to develop. The Oakland trip, as far as we know, is Brown’s first free agent visit. He was linked to the Dolphins last week, but they have since added Lawrence Timmons on a two-year deal.
The Raiders currently project to start Bruce Irvin, Cory James, and Shilique Calhoun at their three linebacker spots. Starter Malcolm Smith left the Raiders for the Niners this offseason and Perry Riley remains in free agent limbo. Brown would make a lot of sense for Oakland and, at minimum, the Raiders could use him to pressure Riley into staying on a more team-friendly deal. At last check, the Raiders were working on a new deal with Riley.
PFR named Brown as the second-best free agent linebacker in terms of ability and I predicted he’d earn the 25th-largest contract of any free agent this offseason. Brown still has time to prove me right, but given his soft market thus far, I’m skeptical that he’ll place that high.
Raiders To Host Jared Cook
Assuming he doesn’t sign after meeting with the Vikings, free agent tight end Jared Cook will take a visit with the Raiders, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Oakland hasn’t been linked to Cook thus far in the free agent period, but the club was reportedly interested in fellow tight end Martellus Bennett, who has since taken Cook’s place in Green Bay. Clearly, the Raiders are attempting to upgrade their tight end group, which currently includes Clive Walford, Lee Smith, and Gabe Holmes. Mychal Rivera, who appeared in 13 games for Oakland last year, is an unrestricted free agent.
In what will go down as his only year with the Packers, Cook appeared in 10 games in 2016 and caught 30 of 51 targets for 377 yards and a touchdown. He was far more impressive in the Packers’ two-game playoff run, in which he combined for 13 receptions on 23 targets, 181 yards and two scores. Previously, Cook spent 2009-15 with the Titans and Rams and totaled 273 catches and 16 touchdowns.
Cook, who is now the top free agent tight end on the market, has also drawn interest from the Seahawks, Bills, and Lions, and had discussions about re-signing with the Packers before they brought in Bennett and Lance Kendricks.
Raiders Sign Cordarrelle Patterson
Cordarrelle Patterson initially left his Raiders visit without a contract, but the two sides later reached a deal, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. The Raiders have since confirmed the move.
Patterson will get $5MM guaranteed in the first year of the deal, by way of a $2.5MM signing bonus and a $2.5MM guaranteed base salary, a source tells PFT’s Mike Florio. The base deal also includes a $250K workout bonus in 2017. Through playing time incentives, Patterson can get up to $7MM in 2017. He’ll get $350K for 55% playing time, another $350K for 70% playing time, $350K for 55 receptions, and another $350K for 70 receptions. He can also make $350K for a Pro Bowl selection.
There is a second year to the deal, but it will void out if Patterson has 65 receptions or participates in 65% of the offensive snaps. If Patterson can assert himself as a receiver in Oakland, he’ll collect a fat paycheck in 2017 and truly cash in as a free agent next March.
The two-time All-Pro kick returner also visited the Bears and Redskins and was vocal about his desire to stay in Minnesota. However, the Vikings didn’t fight all that hard to keep the speedy receiver/kick returner and his market wasn’t as strong as he anticipated.
Now, he goes to Oakland to provide some much-needed depth at wide receiver. Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree are a solid 1-2 combo, but the rest of the team’s receiving corps was lacking. Patterson hasn’t been especially effective as a receiver, but he does have five career kick-return touchdowns and the potential is still there for him to put his athleticism to use on offense.
Patterson earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2013 and ’16 and played a role as a gadget offensive weapon during those slates. In 2015, the 6’2″ elusive talent barely factored into the Vikings’ offense, playing in 16 games and gaining just 25 yards from scrimmage. However, the 2015 Raiders witnessed Patterson’s capabilities firsthand when he took back a kickoff 93 yards for a score.
Patterson has focused on kick returns as a pro and the Raiders did not have a comparable player on their roster. Jalen Richard and Taiwan Jones shared this role last season and couldn’t produce like Patterson. Richard may stay on punt return duty, however, since Patterson has fielded just one punt in his career.
For the Vikings, this continues a string of defections. As Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press points out (via Twitter), the team has now lost seven unrestricted free agents without signing one of their own since the 2017 league year began.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Raiders Make Minor Coaching Staff Changes; Update On Las Vegas
- The Raiders will likely not have a lease agreement for a proposed Las Vegas stadium in place before the league owners meet later this month, a meeting during which they could approve the team’s relocation bid. However, as noted in a piece from the Associated Press, the absence of a finalized lease agreement does not mean the league owners will be precluded from voting on the relocation proposal. Instead, they could conditionally approve the relocation as long as the lease adequately addresses issues that are important to the league.
- The Raiders have made a few changes to their coaching staff, as Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com writes. Last season’s assistant secondary coach, Rod Woodson, will coach cornerbacks, as he did previously, and Brent Vieselmeyer, who was assistant linebackers coach last year, will coach the safeties in 2017. Meanwhile, Travis Smith has been promoted from quality control to outside linebackers coach, and Nick Holz is now the assistant receivers coach. Nate Tice, son of offensive line coach Mike Tice, is the offensive quality control coach.