Raiders Morrison and Howard to draw interest

The next wave of free agency is going to be the normally quietly ignored restricted free agent market. This market had normally been the province of special teams players and fringe reserves. However, with the change in eligibility for the much more desired unrestricted free agent status, many of the biggest names available are restricted.

Thomas Howard likely to get courted by other teams. (P A Patterson Photo)

Thus far, the only restricted free agent who is garnering attention is receiver Brandon Marshall who has been linked to both the Seattle Seahawks and the Cincinnati Bengals. Either team could sign him to an offer sheet, which the Broncos would have a week to match. If they chose not to match it, the signing team would have to surrender their first round pick. The other option, is that the signing team could work out what amounts to an NBA style sign and trade deal, where the compensation would not be the mandated top pick.

The rest of the NFL teams are undoubtedly monitoring the Marshall situation closely. By nature, NFL General Managers are not looking to be the ones to blaze the trail into this virgin ground. They don't want to put their head on the guillotine if things do not go right. However, with the unrestricted market mostly picked over, the action will be moving into the restricted free agents. The rush likely won't start until the Marshall deal is done, and there is a blueprint laid for others to follow.

Once the restricted free agent market starts to heat up, look for the Raiders Kirk Morrison (3rd round tender) and Thomas Howard (2nd round tender) to at least get some looks.

It was a surprise that Morrison only got the original round tender, as he has been a starter for all five of his years in Oakland, and has been the team leader in four of them. He is listed as the fourth best linebacker available this year by footballsfuture.com behind only Karlos Dansby who is now off the market and a Dolphin, Barret Ruud of Tampa Bay (first and third round tender), and DeMeco Ryans of the Texans (first and third round tender). This use of a third round only tender on Morrison is going to make him an attractive target to teams around the league.

Thomas Howard's second round pick is only slightly more prohibitive that Morrison's third round tender. He is ranked as the eighth best linebacker available by footballsfuture. After Morrison is Shawne Merriman of the Chargers (first and third round), Thomas Davis of the Panthers (first and third round tender), and D'Qwell Jackson (second round). This means that Howard essentially the third best linebacker available as teams are not going to give up a first and third for any of the players on that list.

This is not to say that if Morrison is offered a deal that he will automatically be gone, but there is the possibility of a poison pill being used that would make the contract unworkable for the Raiders to match. (For example a $10 million dollar bonus if he is to play half his games in the state of California.) It could be that Morrison is notin the Raiders long term plans, and Davis just hopes to get an additional third round pick to use in the coming draft. However, there is a very real possibility that they could both receive offers that the Raiders can't or won't match. Whilst this would garner an extra second and third round picks, it would also leave the linebacking corps decimated. Ricky Brown would be the most experienced linebacker left on the squad, and he is a much better special teams player than he is 'backer. He is also injury prone. Converted DE Trevor Scott showed some promise as a linebacker/Defensive end hybrid, but the loss of both Morrison and Howard would leave a rather large void.

Bruce Gradkowski may get a look due to the lack of quarterbacks on the market, and the perceived weakness of this year's quarterback class in the draft. He breathed life into a moribund offense, and that has been noticed by other teams.

The rest of the Raiders tendered players are likely safe. No team is going to pony up a first and third round pick for a career backup cornerback in Stanford Routt or a second round pick for a long snapper. However, even if the Raiders are looking towards a linebacker like Rolando McLain in the draft, losing both of their veterans would be counter-productive.