Nick Keizer

West Notes: Raiders, Rams, Broncos, Chiefs

By Dallas Robinson | at May 29, 2019 8:39 pm

During the Raiders‘ negotiations for wide receiver Antonio Brown, the Steelers asked Oakland for a second-round pick, and head coach Jon Gruden was inclined to hand it over, as he explains to Peter King of NBC Sports. “Free-agency’s about to start and I’m thinking, ‘Man, all these slot receivers are going for $10MM. Some of these players are going for $15MM. Why don’t we just give [the Steelers] the second? Get Antonio Brown!’” In the end, the Raiders sent a third-round (No. 66) and a fifth-round pick (No. 141) to Pittsburgh. Based on Chase Stuart of Football Perspective‘s trade chart, those two choices equal the value of the 41st overall selection, so the Raiders did essentially part ways with a second-rounder. Oakland also guaranteed Brown $30.125MM and increased his three-year earning capacity to more than $50MM.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two West divisions:

• The Rams aren’t giving up any more details about the status of Todd Gurley‘s left knee, but the club does have an “individualized workout plan” for the star running back, one that doesn’t involve him participating in OTAs, as Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com writes. Gurley’s knee condition — the one that forced him to miss the final two games of the 2018 regular season and limited his action in the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl — is likely an issue that needs to be “managed” and cannot be “fixed,” as Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News tweets. The Rams not only matched restricted free agent running back Malcolm Brown‘s offer sheet this offseason, but traded up to draft Memphis back Darrell Henderson.
• At one point this year, Broncos cornerback Chris Harris thought he would be traded out of Denver, as he tells James Palmer of NFL.com (Twitter link). Just before the draft, Harris demanded either a new contract or a trade, and he ultimately got his wish, with a new deal arriving on Tuesday. While the veteran defensive back didn’t receive an extension, his total 2019 payout was increased from $8.9MM to $12.05MM. Harris will receive some of that money in the very near future: he got a $650K bonus for reporting to organized team activities, and will get another $600K for showing up at training camp.
• New Raiders guard Richie Incognito is now a client of Lil Wayne’s Young Money APAA Sports agency, as indicated by agent Ken Sarnoff’s recent tweet. Incognito’s representation won’t earn much of a commission on his one-year deal with Oakland, as it’s a minimum salary contract. Given his lengthy off-field history and his year off from football, Incognito isn’t a lock for the Raiders’ roster.
• Free agent tight end Nick Keizer will work out for the Chiefs, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). A 2018 undrafted free agent out of Grand Valley State, Keizer was waived by the Ravens at final cutdowns but was on Baltimore’s practice squad/offseason roster from November until earlier this month.