Lamarr Houston claims Oakland Raiders didn’t try to keep him
By Chase Ruttig
Dec 22, 2013; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers running back Ryan Matthews (24) and defensive end Lamarr Houston (99) after the game at Qualcomm Stadium. The Chargers won 26-13. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Oakland Raiders fans may or may not have moved on from Lamarr Houston after the former Raider moved to the Chicago Bears during the team’s bumpy start to free agency where the team lost its two brightest unrestricted free agents to other teams. However after Houston’s comments on Monday afternoon on 95.7 The Game, Raiders fans may have a different opinion.
Houston went on the Oakland Raiders flagship station to talk about his move to the Chicago Bears, claiming he left because the team didn’t try to retain their top defensive end who had a strong season leading into his free agency year. The new Bear saying that the Raiders said “Forget it and moved on” from their pass rusher.
In addition to dropping the bombshell that the team didn’t try to retain him, Houston thanked the Raiders fans while talking about his excitement in a new beginning with the Bears and a new role that involved dropping weight this offseason.
LaMarr Houston on #Raiders: "Naw, they didn't really try to keep me...They just kinda said forget it and moved on"
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) August 4, 2014
Lamarr Houston: "I appreciate Raider Nation and all the support they gave me through the years" #Raiders #RaiderNation
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) August 4, 2014
LaMarr Houston says he's dropped a little more weight, #Bears plan to use him inside, outside, move him around a lot on the line
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) August 4, 2014
Lamarr Houston: "I've got a ton to prove. I have to prove that I'm one of the most dominant defensive players in the league"
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) August 4, 2014
Whether or not Houston’s comments on his negotiations with the Raiders front office is 100% fact is up for debate as I am sure that Reggie McKenzie would tell a different story about his process in trying to retain Houston, but following his interview there are sure to be some fans asking questions about why the team did not lock in their best defensive talent. Fans should move on like Houston did this offseason as at the end of the day the true story on Houston’s exit will never be known, but the fact is that he moved on to a team he feels has a better chance of winning. In the end Houston did not feel the Raiders offered him enough money to stay in Oakland, but unless McKenzie releases how much money he offered up to retain him nobody will know exactly what happened in the negotiations.