Roy Robertson-Harris To Visit Raiders
- Texas-El Paso defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris will visit the Raiders and Chiefs and work out for the Bears and Vikings, Wilson tweets.
West Rumors: 49ers, Raiders, Las Vegas
The 49ers spoke with the Titans about moving up to the No. 1 pick in the draft, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Still, the 49ers are trying to assess exactly what a move from No. 7 to No. 1 would cost them and they’re also unsure of whether they really need to move up in the draft. San Francisco is believed to be targeting a quarterback and it’s possible that either Jared Goff or Carson Wentz will be there at No. 7.
Here’s more from the West divisions:
- More and more NFL owners are warming up to the idea of the Raiders playing in Las Vegas, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Meanwhile, owner Mark Davis is intrigued by the idea of moving to Vegas, but he’s unsure if fans will continue to fly in for games year after year. When asked about the possibility of the Raiders moving to Las Vegas in March, commissioner Roger Goodell didn’t close the door on the possibility of having an NFL franchise there.
- Indiana defensive tackle Darius Latham has an official visit with the Cardinals, Wilson tweets.
- Marshall safety D.J. Hunter has a private workout scheduled with the 49ers, a league source tells Wilson (on Twitter).
- Clemson safety T.J. Green announced (on Twitter) that he is in Arizona to meet with the Cardinals today.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Raiders, Aldon Smith Reach Agreement
5:25pm: Smith’s two-year deal carries a base value of $11MM with a max value of $19.5MM, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Smith can boost the value of his deal through sack and Pro Bowl incentives. Smith won’t earn the full amount of that deal due to his suspension, but he’s still slated for a nice payday when he does get back to football.
2:17pm: It’s a two-year deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
12:58pm: The Raiders and free agent outside linebacker Aldon Smith have an agreement in place, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). According to Schefter, Smith was spotted at the team’s facility today, attempting to put the finishing touches on a deal.
Although the Raiders and Smith can finalize a contract now, the veteran pass rusher will be ineligible to return to the field to begin the 2016 season. Last November, the NFL hit Smith with a suspension of at least one calendar year, meaning he can’t be reinstated until November 2016 at the earliest.
In nine games for the Raiders last season, Smith racked up 28 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and three pass deflections. When healthy and on the field, Smith can be one of the league’s most effective pass rushers, as he exhibited during his first two years in the NFL. As a part-time player in his rookie season, the linebacker recorded 14 sacks, and he piled up another 19.5 as a starter in 2012, en route to a spot on the All-Pro first team.
However, Smith’s off-field issues limited his production in 2013 and 2014 — he missed nearly half the Niners’ games over that span after entering a rehabilitation facility in 2013 and serving a nine-game suspension in 2014. The Jaguars, Buccaneers, and Rams also made contract offers to Smith prior to the 2015 season and reportedly offered more money, but Smith chose to sign with Oakland partially because of its proximity to his Bay Area home. Given his proclivity for the Bay Area, it’s not a surprise to see him re-up with Oakland.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Reggie Nelson Visiting Raiders
Free agent safety Reggie Nelson is on his way to visit the Raiders, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Nelson will meet with Oakland later today and tomorrow. 
Nelson placed No. 41 on our Top 50 NFL Free Agents List and stands as one of the best available players of the offseason. The tenth-year veteran had 77 tackles and a league-leading 8 interceptions last year for Cincinnati. Still, while he had a strong 2015, his earning power is somewhat limited as he enters his age-33 season.
We haven’t heard much about Nelson since the opening of free agency when the Vikings, Buccaneers, and Washington were all connected to him. Surprisingly, the Bengals did not make much of an effort to retain Nelson after offering him a two-year deal in early March. Here at PFR, we had Nelson ranked as the offseason’s No. 5 free agent safety behind George Iloka, Eric Weddle, Rodney McLeod, Tashaun Gipson. All four of those players signed lucrative deals last month.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Raiders' Discussions With Las Vegas Continue
- The Raiders‘ flirtation with Las Vegas continued Friday. Mark Davis made another trip to the city and posed for a photo with key UNLV personnel, Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com reports. Per Bair, the Raiders owner has now made several trips to Las Vegas to discuss a potential future for his franchise there. This visit put Davis directly in touch with UNLV brass after he previously met with local politicians and Las Vegas Sands hotel higher-ups.
Raiders To Meet With Roy Robertson-Harris
- UTEP defender Roy Robertson-Harris is drawing attention, having met with the 49ers and Panthers. He also has visits and/or workouts scheduled with the Raiders, Chiefs, Bears and Vikings.
Vernon Butler To Work Out For Raiders
- Louisiana Tech defensive lineman Vernon Butler worked out for the Bengals today and will do the same for the Raiders tomorrow, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Raiders Draft Rumors: Lasco, Bullard
- Cal running back Daniel Lasco has received invites from the Texans, Raiders, and 49ers, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. Lasco has also had private workouts with the Patriots and Eagles and he’ll take part in the Texans’ local pro day since he’s from Houston (via Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee on Twitter). Lasco turned heads with his performance in 2014 but he was held back by a hip injury in 2015.
- Florida defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard has visits and/or workouts on the books with the Lions, Jets, Titans, Seahawks, Raiders, Falcons, and Patriots, Getlin tweets.
Raiders Expected To Put Mychal Rivera On Trade Block
Mychal Rivera is a name to watch as the draft approaches, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who says (via Twitter) that the Raiders are expected to place the tight end on the trade block. As Adam Caplan of ESPN.com observes (via Twitter), Oakland is “very high” on Clive Walford, and wants to expand his role going forward.
Rivera, 25, started 10 games for the Raiders in 2014, catching a career-high 58 balls for 534 yards and four touchdowns. However, he saw his role reduced in 2015 upon the arrival of Walford, who was selected by Oakland by the third round in last spring’s draft.
Although Rivera still caught more passes in 2015 than Walford (32 to 28), he averaged just 8.8 yards per reception and found the end zone only once. Walford had three TDs and averaged nearly 12 yards per catch, and also assumed a larger role within the offense during the second half of the season.
After earning the minimum salary for his first three seasons, Rivera will see his base salary jump to $1.671MM for 2016, which perhaps contributes to the Raiders’ apparent willingness to move him. If Oakland finds a taker for the Tennessee product, the return isn’t likely to be significant, but the team could add a late-round pick or a backup player.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Su’a Cravens To Visit Raiders
USC safety/linebacker Su’a Cravens says he has six visits lined up and another eight potentially on the horizon as well, Mike Florio of PFT writes. In addition to the previously reported teams with interest, Cravens says he will visit the the Lions, Raiders, and Dolphins.