Las Vegas Raiders 3 worst contracts heading into 2022
By Alex Perl
Las Vegas Raiders 3 worst contracts heading into 2022
Clelin Ferrell, DE
This is a bit of a weird one to discuss. Defensive end Clelin Ferrell is technically on a rookie deal, which is an enforced contractual obligation based upon selection – nevertheless, when you’re getting paid top prospect dollar for such meager production, well this is where the contract looks like a bad one.
Ferrell was a huge surprise at pick number four in 2019. The Raiders had the misfortune of selecting in this position, where the strongest players were indeed selected in the top three. Although this might have been the case, two of the next three players selected after Ferrell have made the Pro Bowl.
To put the disappointing play into more perspective, three pass rushers selected after Ferrell (Josh Allen, Brian Burns, Jefferey Simmons) have all made a Pro Bowl appearance. Ferrell hasn’t even gotten close to this level of production; through three professional seasons, he has only recorded a total of eight sacks.
Everyone was caught off guard when the All-American out of Clemson was selected so high. Was he a first-round pick? To some degree, yes, he was. Although he had been predicted to fall much further in the draft after not performing at the combine due to injury, and not as athletic as some of his peers.
The Raiders of course in regular Mike Mayock/Jon Gruden fashion made a puzzling selection of the Clemson pass rusher. It looked like a bad selection at the time, and to this day it is a bad selection now.
Making nearly $8-million-dollars a year while playing in a rotational role that has seen Ferrell play not only at defensive end, but cameos at defensive tackle as well, he has truly never thrived at any position.
When taking into account the defensive end has a higher salary than Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller and makes more money than pro bowl selections Hunter Renfrow, Josh Jacobs, and Denzel Perryman combined, it truly signals just how bad this contract truly is.
Do not expect Ferrell to stick around long in the Silver and Black, this contract is not only bad, but he goes down as one of the biggest draft busts in recent Raider memory.