Raiders Interested In Sean Davis
Maryland corner Sean Davis is attracting a ton of interest around the league, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, who writes that Davis has met or will meet with 16 clubs, including the Texans, Cowboys, Saints, Cardinals, Dolphins, Lions, Browns, Colts, Seahawks, Ravens, Washington, Raiders, 49ers, Steelers, Bengals, Bills, and Titans. Wilson also confirms previous reports that Davis has met with the Patriots and Ravens.
Reggie Nelson Contract Details
- Reggie Nelson, S (Raiders): Two years, $8.5MM. $4MM guaranteed. $2MM roster bonus due next Friday. Salaries of $2MM (guaranteed) and $2.75MM. $1.25MM roster bonus due on third day of 2017 league year (becomes guaranteed if Nelson plays 65% of Raiders’ defensive snaps in 2016). Annual $250K workout bonus. Up to $1.75MM annually in incentives for INTs, playing time, and Pro Bowl (Twitter links).
Raiders Sign Reggie Nelson
2:48pm: Nelson’s new two-year deal is worth $8.5MM, with an additional $3.5MM available in incentives, tweets Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. According to Volin, Nelson will get $4.25MM in guaranteed money, and his roster bonus for 2017 will become guaranteed if he plays 65% of Oakland’s defensive snaps in 2016.
THURSDAY, 12:30pm: The Raiders announced the deal.
WEDNESDAY, 6:34pm: The Raiders will continue their offseason defensive fortification by signing Reggie Nelson to a two-year deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
The former Bengals safety who was one of the top free agents remaining on the market will fill a void created by Charles Woodson‘s retirement. As far as veterans go, the Raiders previously had only Nate Allen — whom they cut and re-signed to more team-friendly terms in March — and a host of inexperienced cogs at safety.
A 10th-year pro, Nelson is coming off his lone Pro Bowl berth after intercepting a league-high eight passes in 2015. He’ll join Bruce Irvin, Sean Smith and Aldon Smith as part of Oakland’s revamped defense this fall.
Nelson visited Oakland earlier this week but left the Bay Area without a deal in place, but the Raiders were in need of veteran assistance on their back line after Woodson’s retirement. The former Jaguars safety ranked as the No. 41 overall free agent on PFR’s Top 50 free agents list when the new league year began. Nelson will turn 33 in September.
Even with Woodson in the fold, the Raiders ranked 26th in defending the pass last season. Aside from Woodson, the team didn’t possess much experience at either corner or safety. Allen missed most of the season due to an MCL injury, and the Silver and Black was forced to rely on inexperienced contributors, converted cornerbacks or journeyman Taylor Mays alongside Woodson.
The Raiders entered Wednesday with $14.79MM in cap space after filling several of the voids that plagued their defense last season. Nelson has 30 career interceptions to his credit and has been a full-time starter since the Jaguars took him in the first round in 2007.
The Giants also had interest in Nelson, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (on Twitter), but nothing past the inquiry stage.
Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images
Raiders Draft Rumors: Jackson, King
- Houston corner William Jackson III visited the Ravens last week and will meet with the Raiders on Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
- Norfolk State linebacker Deon King has worked out privately for the Broncos, Raiders, 49ers, Colts, and Washington and will visit with the Cowboys, according to Wilson. King finished his collegiate career with 372 tackles, 52.5 tackles for losses, 22 sacks, five fumble recoveries, four forced fumbles and three interceptions. King was an All-American selection and a three-time all-conference selection.
Reggie Nelson Unlikely To Sign With Raiders?
Just a few days ago, it seemed like an inevitability that Reggie Nelson would sign with the Raiders. However, the safety left his Oakland visit without an agreement between the two sides, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. While a deal could still get done, a pact is not necessarily likely. 
The Raiders have a need at safety and Nelson stands as the best available option left on the open market, so it’s not quite clear what has gotten in the way of a potential deal. Nelson is 33 and coming off of one of his best seasons to date, so he could be looking for a sizable payday on a multi-year deal. However, given his age, a team like the Raiders might be more comfortable with a one-year deal that includes incentives.
Nelson placed No. 41 on our Top 50 NFL Free Agents List and graded out as our No. 5 free agent safety behind George Iloka, Eric Weddle, Rodney McLeod, and Tashaun Gipson. The tenth-year veteran had 77 tackles and a league-leading 8 interceptions last year for Cincinnati.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Aldon Smith Contract Details
- Aldon Smith, OLB (Raiders): Two years, $11.5MM. Annual salaries of $1.25MM. Up to $4MM annually in per-game roster bonuses. $500K annual workout bonus. Up to $3.5MM in annual incentives (Twitter link).
Jonathan Woodard Visited Raiders
- Central Arkansas defensive end Jonathan Woodard had a visit scheduled with the Raiders on Monday and will meet with the Titans on Friday, as Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News tweets.
Aldon Smith To Earn $250K Bonus For Each Game Active
- Aldon Smith, OLB (Raiders): Contract features $250K for each game Smith is on the Raiders’ 53-man roster in 2016 and 2017. Those per-game roster bonuses could max out at $4MM in 2017, but not in 2016 due to suspension (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com).
Raiders Sign Andrew East
- The Raiders announced that they have signed long snapper Andrew East. The Vanderbilt product first came into the NFL as a UDFA in 2015 and spent training camp with Kansas City. In February of this year, he inked a deal with Seattle, only to be waived in March.
Raiders Likely To Sign Reggie Nelson
Vic Tafur of The San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter) expects the Raiders to get a deal done with free agent safety Reggie Nelson, who is in Oakland tonight to meet with team brass and will continue his visit with the team on Tuesday. After Nelson is wined and dined and briefed on the team’s plans for him, Tafur is expecting the Raiders to ink the veteran defender, who stands as one of the best available free agents still on the board.