Raiders have no good excuse for cutting Wilson

By Anthony Carroll  |   Thursday, February 26, 2009  |  Comments( 21 )

Oakland Raiders
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The Oakland Raiders top brass were doing so well.

Two Pro Bowlers -- Nnamdi Asomugha and Shane Lechler -- re-signed. Defensive tackle Tommy Kelly was convinced to restructure his deal. Dead weight was dropped from the roster, including: Kwame Harris, Justin Griffith, Ronald Curry, Kalimba Edwards and (maybe…?) Javon Walker.

And then they had to go and cut Gibril Wilson.

Why? I have no idea.

Wilson, who signed a six-year, $39 million deal fresh off a Super Bowl victory last year with the Giants, finished second on the team in tackles in 2008 with 129. Only middle linebacker Kirk Morrison registered more tackles (135), and Wilson was one of just three players on the roster with more than 50 solo takedowns. On top of that, the 27-year-old (yes, he’s only 27, too) picked off two passes, recorded 1½ sacks and registered a safety.

So, why did Oakland do it?

Yahoo! Sports reported that the front office likely cut the strong safety because he “was considered one of the main offenders in a run defense that missed too many tackles.” But, if that were the case, they should’ve cut 10 other people along with Wilson. Fellow safety Michael Huff (who was rumored to be a possible offseason casualty) wasn’t so good in the tackling department either, yet is still on the team. Kelly wasn’t a very effective run-stopper, either. And Morrison looked slow in pursuit. And Derrick Burgess was virtually nonexistent in run support. Where's their walking papers?

So, that excuse doesn’t cut it (pun intended).

Perhaps Al Davis simply wanted to forget last offseason. It’s possible. Just look how this offseason has played out thus far.

Nearly every major move the 79-year-old owner made last year has been in some way reversed: DeAngelo Hall was given a seven-year, $70 million contract last offseason, and then cut after eight games. Kelly inked a $50.5 million deal, but just restructured the deal to save his team cap space. Kalimba Edwards was given a two-year, $5 million contract. He’s now cut. Kwame Harris was given a three-year, $16 million deal. He’s now cut. Javon Walker was handed a $55 million contract. He’ll probably be cut, too. Then there’s Wilson: He’s cut.

It could be that Davis wants a fresh start. Or maybe he just wants the money.

Oakland just re-signed Asomugha to a three-year contract in which the first two years alone are worth $28.5 million guaranteed. NFL.com reported that the contract is “believed to be the richest ever given to a defensive back.” So, the money in Oakland might be tight. Then again, they’ve cut plenty of salaries off their roster already this offseason.

As for Wilson, he was owed a $4.9 million roster bonus in March, and was said to have refused to take a slash in that bonus to remain with the team. Cutting him saves Oakland $1.4 million against the cap. Financially speaking, though, Wilson seemed worth it. He was essentially the only player who paid off for Davis last season.

At this point, there’s no legitimate reasoning (that's currently available) to justify Davis cutting Wilson. Oakland isn't particularly deep at safety, and the thought of Tyvon Branch or Rashad Baker or some rookie starting alongside Hiram Eugene or Huff next season isn't all too assuring.

Well, there is one legitimate reason: He’s Al Davis.
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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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