The Raiders took a big gamble at the start of last season by trading away their top pick in 2012 to the Patriots to obtain Pro Bowl defensive End Richard Seymour, who was initially unwilling to play in Oakland, but eventually has warmed to the idea of sticking it out if the money is right.
Jerry McDonald of the Contra Costa Times speculated earlier this month that Seymour will will likely get around $35 million in guaranteed money, and Ron Borges of the Boston Herald agrees, putting the figure north of $40 million guaranteed, which would place Seymour in the same company as premier cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha.
At any rate, Seymour is definitely going to have a delivery from the guys at Brinks very soon, as the Raiders aren’t likely to be content with letting him play out his franchise tag tender this season and walk next year, given the likely top ten selection they gave up to get him. A long term deal providing significant financial security for Seymour is definitely in the works, and will inevitably break the bank so to speak when it gets finalized.
As for Asomugha… apparantly the rumor of the Jets acquiring his services to pair him with CB Darrelle Revis isn’t as far fetched as most initially believed. According to Rich Cimini of the New York Post, Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum is definitely open to making a move for Asomugha this off-season, and isn’t afraid to take on the risk involved in such a deal, given Asomugha’s unquestioned talent in shutting down opposing receivers.
Having both Revis and Asomugha patrolling the defensive backfield will likely give opposing QBs and coaches nightmares, but for Jets fans, it would be a win-win situation, making their defense even more unpenetrable than it was in their surprising run through the playoffs to the AFC Championship game.
Nothing is for certain right now, but the possibility is there for a deal to happen, especially if the Raiders take on a huge salary in their efforts to retain Seymour. The haul they’d receive in return for Asomugha would be more than enough to fill several key needs, and while they’d be losing a top level player, addition by subtraction may be necessary given the poor state of the franchise these days.
As always, we’ll keep you posted when more information becomes available.
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Who writes this garbage? "…Richard Seymour, who was initially unwilling to play in Oakland, but eventually has warmed to the idea of sticking it out if the money is right." Nothing Seymour has said or done should leave anyone to believe that nonsense.
Seymour after the trade:
"How do we make it happen? I talked with coach Cable, and I talked with Mr. Davis as soon as this happened, and I assured them I wanted to be an Oakland Raider. They saw something special inside of me, and I just hope that I can bring what they saw. And that's my job to go out and do that, and I know that I will."
Seymour this offseason:
"I would love to re-sign out in Oakland. When you can be the foundation piece and help turn the organization around, that's a challenge for me. That's something where I'm willing to take on that responsibility and challenge of helping bring in some good guys and make a difference. I really enjoy putting on the silver and black," Seymour said.
That would be me… you seem to be pretty handy with the copy/paste keys, but apparently reading isn’t your strong suit, as the word “initially” should have been a dead giveaway that I don’t feel Seymour is of the same mind that he was when he was first notified of the trade. Perhaps having to watch your beloved Raiders stumble through season after season of miserable play has caused a bout of temporary amnesia, but I’ll refresh your memory for you… when the trade first went down Seymour refused to report and it was only after assurances were given to him by the Raiders brass that a long term deal would be worked out eventually that he came into the fold and played for the team.
Players like Seymour want to get paid. Period. If the Raiders won’t cough up the cash, do you really think he’ll just sit by and be happy playing for a crap team, in a crap city, for a crap owner? I don’t and if the Raiders are smart they won’t think that either. Next time you want to bash someone, do some research first and leave the homer opinions at the door.