Oct 13, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub (8) drops back to pass against the St. Louis Rams during the second half at Reliant Stadium. The Rams won 38-13. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports
Well Raiders fans, Matt Schaub won’t be making a base salary of $10 million anymore, because he and GM Reggie McKenzie restructured his contract. According to NFL Analyst Adam Schefter, the deal will lower Schaub’s base salary, and it will be more incentive based.
This is great news for the Raiders. They got Schaub on the cheap by only exchanging a 6th round draft pick. Then, instead of paying the base salary of $10 million, Schaub will likely receive somewhere around $6.5-$7.5 million in base salary. There is performance and roster incentives in place to allow Schaub to make $15-$20 million over the next two seasons, but that will all be on him. No performance, no cash.
It is a very good deal for the Raiders. This restructured deal freed up more cap room, and it will help the Raiders moving forward into the 2014 NFL Draft. It also shows how much Schaub is willing to give up to help out this organization. Plus, if he performs well, Schaub could stand to make considerably more dough.
With wide receivers like James Jones, Rod Streater, Brice Butler, Andre Holmes, and a healthy Denarius Moore, Schaub has the weapons to perform. Not only that, but the offensive line is in place to allow him the time to go through his progressions and make the right throws.
That, my friends, is just the tip of the iceberg. I haven’t even begun to get into the benefits to having FB Marcel Reece, TE Mychal Rivera, RB Darren McFadden (when healthy), or some of the others that will be at Schaub’s disposal.
This is a win-win for both player (Schaub) and team (Raiders). Now, Schaub and Offensive Coordinator Greg Olson need to sit down and start forming a plan of attack. It’s time to unleash these weapons. It’s time for the Raider Nation to see the Raiders battling in every game, offensively. We, the fans, know they can do it. So let’s see it get done.