Raiders New Deal With Kolton Miller Becomes Very Team-Friendly After Year Two

When news of Kolton Miller’s contact extension was released, it was met with mixed reviews. Some felt it was a good deal for a good young tackle and others thought the deal was too much and too soon for a player that can’t yet be categorized as “elite” at the position.

On Wednesday, however, the final details of Miller’s contract were released and the structure of his deal is one that the Raiders are unlikely to regret. Essentially, Miller’s cap numbers for the next two years are much higher than they would have been on his rookie deal, but the team gets a very friendly contract over the final three years of the deal.

Under his rookie deal, Miller would have had a cap number of just over $4 million in 2021 and around $11 million in 2022. Those numbers have now blown up to $13.4 million in 2021 and $16.8 in 2022. The good news for the team, though, is that Miller’s cap numbers over the following three years drop to $14.2 million (2023), $12.3 million (2024), and $12.3 million (2025). The Raiders can also cut or trade him at any point after 2022 without the consequence of any dead money.

For comparison’s sake, the 49ers just re-signed Trent Williams to a deal that will have cap numbers over $26 million from 2023-2026. Williams’ deal also carries little flexibility as the 49ers will get hit with significant dead money if they part ways with him between now and 2025. Miller isn’t as good at Williams, but the Raiders have secured Miller as he enters the prime of his career while the 49ers are locked into Williams on the downside of his career.

With the NFL’s salary cap expected to explode over the next few years, the Raiders probably saved a good amount of money in the long term by committing to Miller now. The top three offensive tackles in the league right now are averaging more than $22 million per year in 2021.

What will the top salaries at offensive tackle look like in three years?

Whatever they are making, we know Miller’s cap numbers from 2023-2025 will average right around $13 million. Those are figures that the Raiders are unlikely to regret.

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