The new front office for the Raiders has already shown that they do not care about high draft picks and previous contracts handed out by the former regime. On Monday, they announced that they will release Kenyan Drake despite the organization paying him a total of $11 million for one season.
So could the Raiders move on from another high-priced veteran before the final roster is set? Because there is one player on the roster that the Raiders might be considering releasing with a high cap number.
In a recent article by Paul Gutierrez of ESPN, he suggested that the Raiders may consider moving on from Clelin Ferrell before the start of the season:
This comes with a caveat, as Ferrell, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 draft, has to make the team. The defensive end, who was expected to get a lift from a new scheme under defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, has not practiced since early in camp with an undisclosed injury.
He was working on a side field with a trainer this week, but as evidenced by the Raiders’ new regime not picking up his fifth-year option, his future in in peril — not only as a third pass-rusher alongside Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones but also as a member of the team.
Ferrell is due just under $10 million this season and it’s fully guaranteed. But if the Raiders don’t believe he is one of the top four defensive ends on the roster, they might just decide to pay him and move on. They clearly have other defensive ends on the roster they like better, so it might be wise to clear up the roster spot for someone else.
Time will tell if Ferrell makes the 53-man roster, but he has done nothing this offseason to warrant making the team.
