Potential Cap Casualties For The Oakland Raiders

Dan Williams

$4.5M in savings if released, no dead money.

Year over year, from the 2015 season to the 2016 season, no member of the team had a bigger drop-off than Dan Williams.

Wiliams was a force against the run in 2015, while also being a constant disruptor in the passing game. If he wasn’t making plays himself, he was drawing double teams and occupying blockers, allowing his teammates to run free and make plays.

But in 2016, it was a completely different story. Williams came into training camp out of shape and overweight, and he struggled with his conditioning. That translated to the field, and Dan got off to a rough start to the season.

His play picked up at times, but it was clear he was not the same player as he was the year prior. Coming up on 30 years old, it’s a legitimate question if going forward, the Raiders will get the 2015 version of Dan Williams or the 2016 version.

With Mario Edwards Jr., Stacy McGee, Justin Ellis and Darius Latham all capable of playing on the interior, the team won’t miss Dan all that much if they cut him loose.

If McKenzie wants to find another defensive tackle, he can look to the draft or even via free agency for a replacement. This will allow the team to get both younger and cheaper at the position.

Prediction: Williams gets released.

Reggie Nelson

$4.25M in savings if released, no dead money.

Like Sean Smith, Nelson also just finished his first year with the Silver and Black as a free agent acquisition.

After leading the NFL in interceptions the season prior, the market for Nelson’s services wasn’t as hot as anticipated. McKenzie swooped in late and inked the veteran safety to a 2-year, $8.5M deal, with all the guarantees paid out in the first season.

That means if Nelson is released, there would be no dead money hit. But should McKenzie cut bait, or let the vet play out his contract?

Nelson will be 34 in September of 2017, and in this most recent season, his age was already starting to show. Whether it was getting burned over the top or with missed tackles, Nelson underwhelmed in 2016.

On the plus side, Nelson’s penchant for turnovers and clutch moments continued. He picked off 5 passes, recovered 2 fumbles, and had a memorable game-clinching hit stick in Baltimore. Despite his season drawing mixed reviews, Nelson earned his second consecutive Pro Bowl berth.

As mentioned above, cutting Nelson would save the team $4.25M, but the coaches and his teammates respect him quite a bit, evident by his status as a team captain in 2016. With a young safety in Karl Joseph in line to carry the torch, a mentor like Nelson is a valuable asset.

Prediction: Nelson stays.

Austin Howard

$3.6M in savings if released, $2.8M in dead money.

Outside of Sean Smith, Austin Howard is probably the player most of Raider Nation wants to see let go. Well, also probably outside of Marquette King now, but he’s not going anywhere.

In regard to Howard, he’s largely disappointed since signing a 5-year, $30 million deal just prior to the 2014 season. Howard was decent in 2015, appearing in 13 games at right tackle before ending the season on injured reserve.

Like 2014, there was more bad than good for Howard in 2016. Coming up on age 30, it’s safe to say Howard is who he is at this point — a serviceable player, but not much else.

Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as just cutting him and moving on. This was one of the bigger contracts McKenzie put together in the first half of his tenure as GM, and he can’t move on from Howard without a dead money hit.

NFL contracts can be tricky, with many different loopholes. One of them is the post June 1 designation, which would push half of the dead money onto next season. But as we all know, McKenzie doesn’t like dead money, so I don’t think he takes advantage of that.

With Menelik Watson being a free agent, chances are the team lets him walk instead. If so, Mike Tice will surely like to have a veteran presence on the right side, with Vadal Alexander and Denver Kirkland not quite ready to take the reigns.

Also, Howard will have a $1.4M dead money hit if released next offseason. So he might even get to play out his entire contract.

Prediction: Howard stays.