Despite the fact that its the off season in the NFL, there is a lot happening in the world of professional football this week. With many players becoming free agents on March 13, there wasn't as much movement within the Oakland Raiders franchise as one might expect, but many of the other teams' decisions will ultimately affect the Silver and Black down the road.
Bay Bridge, Oakland
Wikimedia Commons
Almost as soon as I wrote that Jason Campbell was in negotiations with the Chicago Bears, the news came down the pike that he had signed with the team. While the move didn't seem to make a lot of sense initially, the more I thought about it and put myself in his shoes, the more I understood. It would be as if you'd been hired in a management role within any industry, found yourself forced to take some time off for medical reasons, and returned to find someone else had taken over the job. Would you really want to come back and work beneath that position? Probably not.
Moving forward, the Raider Nation will have to put their faith in Carson Palmer. The former great quarterback Jim Plunkett told me just the other day that he felt Palmer would be a more solid player in 2012, now that he's had a chance to develop a rhythm with his excellent offensive weapons out on the field. I have faith.
Today, the news was released that both defensive tackle John Henderson and right guard Cooper Carlisle were cut. The word is that both failed their physicals. The move is said to have cleared $6.7 million in salary cap space for 2012, meaning $10 million in "real" money going forward, according to Paul Gutierrez of CSNBayArea.com. It will also put the Raiders at $9,204,766 million under the cap.
This is now the team's fifth and sixth cut. Carlisle was a five-year veteran and started all 16 games in 2011. It goes to show that not one player is safe, and McKenzie continues to prove his message that players who don't live up to the phrase "commitment to excellence" will not wear silver and black .
The Houston Texans' free agent, guard Mike Brisiel, paid a visit to Oakland today, and while his name may not bring a lot of excitement, he was a solid player who has worked under Frank Pollack and Greg Knapp. We'll have to wait and see if he actually signs.
In unrelated news last night, the Raiders' former two-time Super Bowl winning head coach, Tom Flores, was inducted into the Bay Area Hall of Fame in San Francisco. According to Raiders.com, he was presented for induction by his Super Bowl-winning quarterback and Super Bowl XV MVP, my all-time favorite player, Jim Plunkett.
Many former Raider greats were in attendance, including Hall of Famers Willie Brown, John Madden, Jim Otto and Dave Casper, and former players George Atkinson, Ray Chester, Morris Bradshaw, Cliff Branch and Clem Daniels.
As Raider fans, we can only hope today's players will someday looked back upon as being the exceptional men out on the field who were able to return the team to their glory years.
K.C. Dermody grew up in the Bay Area of California, and has been an Oakland Raiders fan for her entire life. She has continued her loyalty to the team through its many ups and downs over the decades, and has been privileged to meet several of her favorite players, including famed quarterback, Jim Plunkett. Follow her on Twitter @kcdermody or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kcdermodywriter.
More from this contributor:
Oakland Raiders' Campbell Heading to the Bears to Be a Backup? Plus More Free Agency News: Fan's Take
Oakland Raiders' Legendary Quarterback Jim Plunkett: Thoughts on the Past and the Team's Future
Oakland Raiders' Aaron Curry Will Stay a 'Christ-filled' Raider, Johnson and Eugene Cut: Fan's Update
Oakland Raiders' Fan's Look: Quarterback Carson Palmer Makes Sacrifices for the Silver and Black
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