Longtime Raiders left guard Robert Gallery told ESPN that he
won’t be back with the team next season. Gallery said that he and
Raiders managing general partner Al Davis have spoken about
Gallery’s future and reached a definitive decision.
OAKLAND
Longtime Raiders left guard Robert Gallery told ESPN that he won’t be back with the team next season.
Gallery said that he and Raiders managing general partner Al Davis have spoken about Gallery’s future and reached a definitive decision.
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“We’ve come to a mutual agreement that it’s time for me to move on with my career,” Gallery said. “I appreciate the start that they and Mr. Davis gave me, and I truly have enjoyed my time wearing the Silver and Black. I wish them well, I thank the fans, and I take away great memories of my time in Oakland.”
Raiders senior executive John Herrera said there wasn’t a mutual decision.
“He was asking for $8 million a year, and we were willing to pay him in the $2.5 million range,” Herrera said. “His asking price was way too high.”
Herrera pointed out that the Raiders were 6-6 in the 12 games Gallery started last season and 2-2 in games started by Daniel Loper, while Gallery was out with a hamstring injury.
Gallery earned $635,000 in base salary last season, and he was scheduled to earn $1.3 million in 2011.
Gallery, 30, was the second overall pick of the 2004 NFL draft out of Iowa. He played right and left offensive tackle before settling in at left guard in 2007. He appeared in 92 games during his seven seasons with the Raiders.
His contract voided after the 2010 season ended. That made Gallery an unrestricted free agent.
“I’m looking for a new start somewhere else, to experience another place, and to be able to accomplish some of the things I want to,” Gallery said. “It’s best for everyone.”
Gallery did not respond to a Bay Area News Group e-mail or return a phone call seeking comment.
A Raiders employee said that Davis is high on second-year player Bruce Campbell and that Davis wants to see Campbell in the starting lineup in 2011.
Campbell was selected in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL draft, but he spent his rookie season grasping the conversion from offensive tackle to guard.
In other news, the Raiders signed safety Jerome Boyd. He has spent time in the Raiders training camp and on their practice squad the past two seasons.
— Story by Steve Corkran, Contra Costa Times
