Oakland Raiders: Recapping the 2018 offseason
By Brad Weiss
NavorNo Bowman
During the 2017 NFL season, the Raiders received a solid middle linebacker towards the middle of the season, as NaVorro Bowman was released by the San Francisco 49ers. Bowman joined the Raiders in October, signing a one-year deal with the team, and really became the leader of the linebacking unit.
Bowman played very well for the Raiders in 2017, and many believed the team would be quick to re-sign him to a longer deal this offseason. However, as the weeks continued to pass, it became clear that Bowman’s stint in Oakland may be only a couple of months long.
As of July 8, Bowman still has not signed with the Raiders, and in fact, he has yet to sign with any team. Some say the price tag was just too high for the Raiders to pay, and with Derrick Johnson signing a very cap friendly deal to be the team’s middle linebacker in 2018, it is very possible we have seen the last of Bowman in the Silver and Black.
Could the Raiders still bring back Bowman? Yes, but they are going to have to move some parts around to fit him in under the salary cap. The attention should be moved to Khalil Mack when it comes to new deals, because the linebacker position is full at this point, and Mack has yet to report to the team.