Raiders sign star cornerback to deal worth nearly $30
million
OAKLAND
All-Pro cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha re-signed with the Oakland Raiders on Thursday, avoiding the franchise tag by agreeing to a three-year contract that’s thought to be the richest ever given to a defensive back.
Asomugha, who’s heading into his seventh NFL season, is one of the league’s elite cover defenders. He was selected for the Pro Bowl and chosen to the AP All-Pro team last season despite getting just one interception because Oakland’s opponents rarely even dared to throw to his side of the field.
News reports from the NFL combine in Indianapolis differed widely on the financial value of the contract, but most cited the value at nearly $30 million for the first two seasons alone, making it among the biggest ever given to a cornerback or safety.
The Raiders made two dramatic moves in the past two days to answer their biggest questions in free agency, locking up arguably their two best players with lucrative deals. On Wednesday, Oakland re-signed All-Pro Shane Lechler to a four-year contract that was the biggest ever given to a punter in NFL history.
Raiders owner Al Davis had been unsure whether to use his franchise player tag on Lechler or Asomugha, who got it last season. Instead, he paid top dollar to keep both players.
Asomugha, a former first-round draft pick from the University of California, has 10 career interceptions. He picked off eight passes and was a late Pro Bowl selection in 2006, when he emerged as an elite cornerback.
Asomugha made critical statements about the Raiders’ direction late in their sixth consecutive losing season, but acknowledged he probably would remain with the club because of the franchise tag. His new contract and the Raiders’ new coaching staff likely made the decision much easier.
After the Raiders’ big free-agent signings in the last offseason didn’t work out particularly well, Davis is spending freely on his own proven players before the free agency period even opens. Cornerback DeAngelo Hall, given a $70 million deal to be Asomugha’s bookend, lasted just eight terrible games before being cut, while $55 million receiver Javon Walker made just 15 catches before going on injured reserve.
Asomugha will return to a revamped Raiders staff under new defensive coordinator John Marshall and new defensive backs coach Lionel Washington. Oakland retained Tom Cable as its head coach earlier in the month after he led the Raiders to a 4-8 record while taking over for Lane Kiffin.
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Story by Greg Beacham, AP Sports Writer
