Kelly, Sands, Warren all equally important for Raiders

By Anthony Carroll  |   Thursday, April 17, 2008  |  Comments( 9 )

Oakland Raiders
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans!
Maybe Tommy Kelly’s seven-year, $50.5 million contract isn’t so ridiculous after all. At least not until 2010, when the real dollars start to kick in.

But in 2008, Kelly won’t make all too much. The 300-pound Oakland Raiders defensive tackle will rake in a base salary of $625,000. Of course, with $18.125 million guaranteed within the contract, each year’s salary jumps up by just over $2.5 million spread out over seven years.

If you look at it that way, then, Kelly will make close to the same as fellow DT Terdell Sands next year and just a bit less than Gerard Warren.

All three of them should remember that in 2008.

For the Raiders’ sake, Kelly, Sands and Warren are all equally important next season -- both fiscally and physically. They’re just about as central to the overall success of the defense as second-year quarterback JaMarcus Russell is to the offense.

The trio of pricey DTs will be faced with a challenge that Oakland has failed to succeed in for five years running. The Raiders’ rush ‘D’ hasn’t ranked in the top 20 in the ever-so-important run-stuffing category since 2002, when they ranked third in the NFL … and actually had a winning record. Since then, Oakland’s defense has finished 32nd, 22nd, 25th, 25th and 31st, respectively, from ’03 all the way up until last season. Not so surprisingly, the team’s record is 19-61 over that five-year span.

Sands and Kelly will particularly -- and ironically -- be the key players to breaking that ugly trend.

Particularly … because they’re the starters. Ironically … because they have smaller ‘08 base salaries than Warren. A former third overall pick, Warren will earn $4 million in base salary, plus a $1 million workout bonus. Sands, in contrast, will earn a total of $2.5 million next season.

In Oakland’s speed-oriented 4-3 defense, Sands and Kelly are the two starting anchors on the interior of the front line, where LaDainian Tomlinson, Larry Johnson and Travis Henry will look to attack for at least six games next season. Last year, those three enemies rushed at the Raider ‘D’ 105 combined times for 543 yards in five contests, for over 100 yards each game.

Of the three interior linemen, the 335-pound Sands turned out to be, by far, the most disappointing in 2007. Warren panned out to be the most surprising.

Sands had just inked a four-year, $17 million deal last offseason, and hopes were high. In the end, however, the former undrafted free agent followed up with just 23 tackles and no sacks in 16 games (11 starts). Warren, on the other hand, was exchanged for a conditional fifth-round draft pick, and managed to reach the QB four times and record 22 tackles.

Kelly, who missed nine games because of a knee injury, finished off the year with more tackles (30) than either of the DTs and also chipped in with one sack.

With Warren Sapp out the door, the Raiders will rely more than ever on all three DTs to consistently plug up the middle of the line. And if Kelly happens to rotate to end on certain downs, it’ll be specifically on the shoulders of Sands and Warren.

For Oakland, that means it needs each DT to play up to their full potential.

Better yet, to play up to the value of their contracts.

Anthony Carroll can be contacted at
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans! (9)

About Anthony Carroll

Anthony Carroll began writing for RealFootball365.com on Sept. 26, 2005, making him one of the longest tenured contributors to the “365” team. As a senior writer, Anthony has taken on the task of delivering original content to the silver and black faithful year round, despite having to deal...
read more
Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report
CommentsComments: 9  |  Sign Up  View all comments
Avatar
No.1
07:37 AM
04/17/2008
The key is Terdell Sands. He was re-signed last year because showed promise as a run stopper. He needs to be the power NT who...
No.2
LordRaider		09:09 AM
04/17/2008
With the big three taking up blockers and space, it is up to the linebackers to come up and fill the gaps, and more importantly...
No.3
slayton		10:02 AM
04/17/2008
We've needed a real run-stuffing DT for years now. We'd better draft either Dorsey or Ellis or kiss another year good-bye. With...
Team News  |  View All Raiders Content
Oakland Raiders:  Is Nnamdi...
The Raiders have a lot of key free agents to sign. Guys like Zach Mil...
11 months, 3 weeks ago   |   Oakland Raiders:  Is Nnamdi Asomugha really done as a Raider? ( 15 )
Meanwhile… Back at the Asylu...
As many expected, the Oakland Raiders named offensive coordinator Hue...
1 year ago   |   Meanwhile… Back at the Asylum ( 1 )
The Oakland Comet Rides Agai...
The NFL post-season is underway, with a wild, wild, wildcard weekend i...
1 year, 1 month ago   |   The Oakland Comet Rides Again! ( 0 )
Eight and Eight Doesn’t Beat...
Note: This article was written prior to the news about Tom Cable being...
1 year, 1 month ago   |   Eight and Eight Doesn’t Beat Seven and Nine ( 3 )
Banner Day in Raider Nation
When you have a 24-hour period involving the Raiders sweeping one divi...
1 year, 2 months ago   |   Banner Day in Raider Nation ( 1 )