Oakland Raiders QB Rich Gannon gets cut in pay, more trims on the way

By Hugo Guzman  |   Monday, February 28, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

Oakland Raiders
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The Raiders cleared some much-needed salary-cap room by restructuring the contract of quarterback Rich Gannon on Friday, according to NFL Management Council figures. Gannon, who turns 40 this year, still is recovering from the broken neck vertebra he sustained in a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 26. He missed the rest of the season.

His 2005 base salary was pared from $8 million to the veteran minimum of $765,000. The Raiders likely will hold on to Gannon until June 1, at which time they can release him without having to account for the accelerated portion of his signing bonus until the 2006 season. He is signed through 2009.

Calls to Gannon's home in Minnesota went unanswered on Saturday. He has said in recent weeks that he still isn't sure if he will be able to play again, or if he has the desire to return.

The Raiders were $10.9 million over the $85.5 million salary-cap limit allotted each team as of Friday night, according to NFL Management Council figures. They have to be in compliance with the cap limit by the league-mandated deadline of March 1. The overage includes a $2.69 million cap hit from wide receiver Jerry Porter's contract extension, as well as the $10.537 million hit from the one-year franchise tender the Raiders offered cornerback Charles Woodson on Tuesday and received back signed on Friday night.

Raiders senior personnel executive Mike Lombardi said Tuesday that reaching the cap limit "won't be a problem." He did not return phone calls Friday or Saturday. The Raiders can get in compliance by releasing players such as DT John Parrella, DE DeLawrence Grant, guards Frank Middleton and Ron Stone, TE Roland Williams and CB Denard Walker, in addition to restructuring the contract of LT Barry Sims.

Fitting in enough room to accommodate the expected trade of Minnesota Vikings receiver Randy Moss and his $7.25 million 2005 base salary likely will require a little more creativity. The Raiders can gain back the $10.537 million in cap room if another team trades for Woodson, but trades aren't allowed until March 2. They also could free up considerable space by signing Woodson to a long-term contract that is cap friendly this season, and by getting Moss to restructure the four years and $36.5 million he has left on the eight-year, $75 million deal he signed with the Vikings in 2001.

In other news, the Raiders signed LB Robert Chapman. He has spent time with the Raiders in recent seasons but has not appeared in any regular-season games.
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About Hugo Guzman

Trying to bring an objective approach to NFL analysis.
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