The NFL salary cap is expected to drop next year, but there is a good chance the Raiders will be able to weather the new cap without losing any significant contributors to the 2020 season.
Let’s take a look at four contracts on the Raiders that could very well be cut loose after the season.
Tyrell Williams, $11.6 million
Williams won’t be back with the Raiders next year. Given his injury history and the addition of both Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards, Williams’ time with the Raiders has come to an end. Based on the removal of everything “Raiders” on his social media pages, Williams knows his time with the team is up. His release will be a formality at the end of the season.
LaMarcus Joyner, $11.2 million
Joyner is having his best season since joining the Raiders, but he isn’t worth $11.2 million and there might not even be a drop-off in talent behind him by next year. Maybe he would be willing to restructure to stay with the team, but the chances of Joyner returning on his current deal are slim to none.
Trent Brown, $14 million
The Raiders could save a lot of money by unloading Brown. When he’s healthy and wants to play, Brown is probably the best right tackle in the NFL. The problem is that the team got off to a rough start this year with his conditioning and then everything that could go wrong has gone wrong since. There’s a good chance (better than 50 percent) that Jon Gruden doesn’t have the patience to endure another year with Brown. But we’ll see how the remainder of 2020 plays out before making any assumptions.
Marcus Mariota, $10.1 million
Easily the worst contract the Raiders signed in the offseason. Mariota hasn’t been healthy and Derek Carr only comes off the field after touchdowns. $10 million is a lot to pay for a Pro Bowl defensive player, so it’s way to much to pay for a backup quarterback. Which of those positions do you suppose Gruden would rather have right about now?
Gabe Jackson, $9.6 million
Jackson only makes the list because $9.6 million is a hefty sum to pay an interior offensive lineman. That said, Jackson has anchored one of the best offensive lines in football this year and the Raiders should make every effort to keep him around. If they can afford to keep him, just leave well enough alone and keep the offensive line intact as much as possible.
One player that probably won’t get the axe this offseason is Cory Littleton. His $13.7 million cap number in 2021 is huge, but his dead money number if cut or traded is just over $19 million. So he should be back next year.
How much can the Raiders save in cuts?
If the Raiders decide to cut ties with Brown, Williams, Joyner, and Mariota in the offseason, that would save the team $46.9 million in salary cap next year. Not a bad place to be if the Raiders need cap room. And considering only Joyner (and Brown for one game) has made any kind of impact on the 2020 season so far, what would the Raiders really be missing?
twitter: @raidersbeat
I can’t think of how ecplosive this offense would be with T.Will out there. 2021, pay him half and let it rip.
I agree.. I think that he had chemistry with DC and his experience has been noticeably missed in games this year. I say that he deserves a shot again in 2021!
I can’t think of how explosive this offense would be with T.Will out there. 2021, pay him half and let it rip. We’d have the WR group in the NFL.
Alot more people need and should be cut tht all imma say!!
I wouldn’t be sorry to keep Mariota if the coaching staff is convinced that he is the best option at QB2. Quarterbacks get hurt regularly, and if Mariota is able to keep the Raiders winning if that happens, then $10M isn’t too much to pay. Better to pay him and not need him than try to save money at the position and not have a legitimate backup if Carr goes down.
And let’s keep Jackson. Brown, Joyner and Williams clear $37 million. That’s enough.
They need to do it and get rid of all the dead weight, especially the always out of shape 400 plus pounder. We have young talent and massive needs; so it’s a no brained. Pass rushers, cds, safeties, linebackers, flat for sure. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a better Raider Nation new year…Go Raiders!
Mayock needs to go to work right now and figure out what’s what. No time to be hanging out and grab assing on the sideline.
Trent Brown is a disaster and needs a long hard brutal reality check. I think he has decided he has made enough money to retire and his NFL days are done. Dude just won’t go to work anymore.
Joyner was used out of position since he got here. That’s on Paul Guenther not Joyner.
Mariota is a real head scratcher… Not sure why he was brought in? Maybe to push Carr but to be honest he needs to be pushing carts at a Walmart or Target. The guy isn’t an NFL caliber player any longer.
Tyrell Williams was a desperation FA signing. Gruden needed WRs and he was the best available at the time. The guy has always been soft and always had problems with injuries. He should be teaching football not playing it
Brown – stays (hopefully)
Joyner – restructures (hopefully & plays
safety)
Williams – restructures (hopefully… can
you imagine Ruggs, Williams, Agholor,
and Waller?!?!?)
Mariota – goner (HOPEFULLY)
Jackson – restructures (HOPEFULLY)
Littleton – restructures (give him a big
signing bonus or something and get
some of that money off the books!)
How about cut Carr and keep Mariota.