The Raiders' offseason philosophy could be called the Chris Johnson Plan. It works by seeing who's already on the roster before opening the wallet for a free agent.
The Raiders know how things can go wrong in free agency. In 2008, they didn't even get a full season out of their biggest offseason acquisition. Cornerback DeAngelo Hall landed a seven-year deal worth up to $70 million after being traded to Oakland but was waived after eight games and making $8 million.
His replacement was Johnson, who had a base salary of $520,000 in 2008.
"We had players here who could play, and for some reason or another, some of (the Raiders' former coaches) refused to play them," Raiders owner Al Davis said. "And so we went out instead and got the players on the market that were considered the best players at their position that were available. And they did not fare well for us, no."
Before the start of free agency at 9:01 p.m. Thursday, the Raiders released safety Gibril Wilson and tackle Kwame Harris from last year's free-agent haul. Defensive tackle Tommy Kelly and wide receiver Javon Walker remain from the 2008 spending spree. Kelly was unspectacular, and Walker missed eight games because of injury.
Rather than prepare to pluck players from other teams, the Raiders followed the Johnson plan by re-signing Johnson (four years, $15.3 million) and then giving record deals to cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha (three years, $45.3 million) and punter Shane Lechler (four years, $16 million). Restricted free-agent linebackers Ricky Brown and Jon Alston signed one-year contracts Thursday. Unrestricted free-agent center Jake Grove and special-teams standout Isaiah Ekejiuba, a Pro Bowl alternate last season, are Oakland's next priorities to re-sign.
Davis said the failures of last year's signings wouldn't prevent the team from being active. The Raiders could look to add depth to the secondary, linebackers and offensive line while pursuing a veteran wide receiver. Don't be surprised if those signings are bargains.
Barring a new collective bargaining agreement, the 2010 season won't have a salary cap, meaning Davis might not sign off on many more big contracts this offseason.
"I think with the lockout looming down the road and what's happening in free agency, I don't know that you're going to see the big bonuses anymore for players," Davis said.
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