Quarter in review: Ranking the Raiders’ big-money moves

By Anthony Carroll  |   Wednesday, October 08, 2008  |  Comments( 29 )

Oakland Raiders
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All offseason long, the Oakland Raiders dished out money in the hopes that it would translate into instant production and, with that, wins.

For the most part, it hasn’t.

The Raiders rank in the bottom half of the NFL in points scored, yards per game, points against and yards against per game. Most importantly, they’re 1-3 and already three games out of the AFC West lead held by the Denver Broncos.

The excessive spending hasn’t helped. Among defenders Tommy Kelly, DeAngelo Hall and Gibril Wilson as well as wideout Javon Walker, the 79-year-old team owner took $214.5 million out of the Raiders’ wallet this offseason.

While, admittedly, a portion of that huge chunk of change has gone to good use, the majority has gone to waste. With a quarter of the Raiders' 2008 regular-season games in the rear-view mirror, let’s take a look at the team’s major offseason moves, ranking them from best to worst.

1. Feb. 29: Picked up New York Giants safety Gibril Wilson hot off a Super Bowl win for six years, costing the team $39 million. The deal included a $16 million signing bonus.

Early in the offseason -- along with the Raiders -- the Eagles, Jaguars and Falcons also had Wilson on their radar. As a result, Oakland was forced to dish out a big contract to steal away the hard-hitting safety from the Super Bowl-winning Giants. But the move has thus far paid off. The 26-year-old already leads the Raider ‘D’ in tackles with 33, and is on pace to finish the season with 132. Oakland paid for exactly what was advertised: A ball-hawking safety who's quick to the ball and always involved in the play from start to finish.

2. Feb. 28: Re-signed 27-year-old defensive tackle Tommy Kelly to a then-record-setting deal, a seven-year, $50.5 million contract that included $18.125 million in guarantees.

At the time, inking Kelly to the highest-ever contract offered to a defensive tackle was certainly eyebrow-raising. Kelly has an OK NFL résumé, solid athleticism and plenty of potential, but the price tag didn’t fit the product. Still, the hefty re-signing isn’t a particularly awful-looking move thus far in the season, particularly with the array of injuries Oakland has had to deal with early in the campaign along the D-line. Through four contests, Kelly leads all of the team’s DTs in tackles with 12 and has been solid in run support.

3. March 20: Acquired CB DeAngelo Hall via trade with the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for the Raiders’ second-round pick in the 2008 draft. Hall signed a seven-year, $70 million deal with Oakland.

Hall is giving Oakland exactly what was expected: Plenty of poor plays, a fewer amount of good plays and a select amount of outstanding plays. For that reason alone, it’s difficult to rank the acquisition at the bottom of the list. Davis knew what he was getting himself into from the get-go. The ex-Falcons defensive back ranks third on the team in tackles with 22 and first in passes defensed (four) and interceptions (two). He also has let in the most passes his way, too, making him essentially the opposite of teammate Nnamdi Asomugha. Which one is more valuable, though? Asomugha.

4. March 4: Signed free-agent WR Javon Walker to a six-year, $55 million deal that included $16 million guaranteed.

Walker has just four catches all season; that's fewer than Ashley Lelie, who signed just days before the start of the season, and Justin Griffith, the team’s fullback. And Walker was signed to become the Raiders’ No.1 target. Since inking the deal with Oakland, the 29-year-old has brought all controversy (Vegas robbery, contemplating retirement) and no production. After missing the season opener, Walker started Week 2 (no catches), played in, but didn’t start, Week 3 (two grabs) and then reentered the starting lineup in Week 4 (two more receptions). In his defense, Oakland is the farthest thing possible from a passing team, but that doesn’t justify the $55 million that was given to him. Walker will likely go down as the worst offseason acquisition in the NFL in 2008.
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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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