Raiders’ Asomugha right to wait for what he deserves

By Anthony Carroll  |   Monday, June 02, 2008  |  Comments( 34 )

Oakland Raiders
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Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis may have outsmarted the soon-to-be-uncapped NFL in the long run. But, right now, his top cornerback isn’t having it.

It was reported Friday that Oakland’s No. 1 corner, Nnamdi Asomugha, won’t be attending the team’s minicamp when it starts Tuesday, and he’s no lock to report to training camp next month.

When the 26-year-old defender opted out of the final season of his rookie contract back in the winter, Davis slapped an exclusive franchise tag worth $9.8 million on Asomugha. The move took No. 21 off the market and prevented him from talking to any other teams.

Almost a month later, Davis then slapped Asomugha in the face. Figuratively speaking, of course.

The longtime owner gave the new guy -- ex-Atlanta Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall -- a brand-new, long-term contract. After dealing away second- and fifth-round picks to Atlanta to acquire the 24-year-old Hall, the Raiders inked him to a seven-year, $70 million deal.

The Hall deal was just one of the many long-term, large-contract moves that Davis and the Raiders attended to during the offseason, all while Asomugha has sat voiceless with a one-year offer on his plate.

Defensive tackle Tommy Kelly was awarded a stunning contract worth $50.5 million over seven years back in February; safety Gibril Wilson was granted a six-year, $39 million contract a day later; and, a week later, wideout Javon Walker was given a six-year, $55 million deal.

Now Asomugha is unable to practice because he’s not officially under contract with the team. The soon-to-be-sixth-year Raider, however, has already admitted that the notion of sitting out the entire ‘08 campaign “has never gone through (his) head.”

That’s good news for a hopeful, newly renovated Raiders team.

After an eight-interception campaign in ‘06, Asomugha followed up with an effective, albeit less flashy, 2007 season. The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder was picked on just 28 times all last season, and he allowed only 10 catches. In his five-year career with the Raiders, Asomugha has played in 54 games with 217 tackles, nine interceptions and 35 passes defensed.

With minicamp just around the corner, Davis’ top priority should be dealing with Asomugha. With the tag kept on him, the young defensive back will count for nearly $10 million against the cap this season. A long-term deal could help to dramatically reduce that number for the ‘08 season and, most importantly, ensure that both Hall and Asomugha -- two Pro Bowlers -- play alongside each other for more than just one year.

Of course, that’s easier said than done. So far, though, nothing has stopped Davis from getting what he wants since last season ended.

Anthony Carroll can be contacted at
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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...
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