massraider
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A day of furious free agent movement and negotiations left the Raiders and veteran quarterback Jeff Garcia at an impasse following several hours of talks.
Garcia, who became an unrestricted free agent Thursday night, was considered the Raiders' top target on the open market. But an interesting series of events - and several hours of discussion between the Raiders and Garcia's agent, Steve Baker - left both sides with nothing.
"He's going to keep exploring his options and the Raiders will, too,'' an NFL source said Friday afternoon.
By all appearances, Garcia may be angling to secure a deal with other teams and the Raiders - who are about $9 million under the $109 million salary cap - are trying to be smart with their money.
Earlier Friday, the Denver Broncos appeared to have completed a deal to send backup quarterback Jake Plummer to Tampa Bay in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick.
But Plummer - who had hinted he was through with football after losing his starting job last season to rookie Jay Cutler - derailed that trade by telling both teams he would retire rather than play for the Buccaneers.
Some NFL insiders believed Plummer was angling for Denver to work a trade deal with the Houston Texans, who are looking for a replacement for quarterback David Carr. But Plummer's retirement announcement remained, and suddenly the Broncos were looking for a backup for Cutler.
A number of teams, including the Buccaneers, the Vikings and the Texans, reportedly have strong interest in Garcia, 37, who is the top quarterback in an otherwise mediocre crop of free agents.
Garcia is coming off a terrific season in Philadelphia, where he took over for injured starter Donovan McNabb. With the scrambling Garcia under center and running back Brian Westbrook churning out 1,916 total yards and scoring 11 touchdowns (seven rushing, four receiving), the Eagles made it the second round of the playoffs. Garcia became a cult hero in Philadelphia.
But the Eagles, perhaps eager to stifle rumors that Garcia had eclipsed McNabb as their franchise quarterback, signed backup quarterback A.J. Feeley to a three-year contract extension. Garcia had been playing under a one-year contract in Philadelphia.
The Raiders have the No. 1 overall pick in April's NFL Draft and they are expected to select a quarterback, probably LSU's JaMarcus Russell, with that choice. It's believed that Garcia's hesitance to sign with the Raiders stems from the fact his tenure as a starter in Oakland would be short-lived because of the Raiders' draft plans.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/03/02/SPGSTOEE2V3.DTL
Garcia, who became an unrestricted free agent Thursday night, was considered the Raiders' top target on the open market. But an interesting series of events - and several hours of discussion between the Raiders and Garcia's agent, Steve Baker - left both sides with nothing.
"He's going to keep exploring his options and the Raiders will, too,'' an NFL source said Friday afternoon.
By all appearances, Garcia may be angling to secure a deal with other teams and the Raiders - who are about $9 million under the $109 million salary cap - are trying to be smart with their money.
Earlier Friday, the Denver Broncos appeared to have completed a deal to send backup quarterback Jake Plummer to Tampa Bay in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick.
But Plummer - who had hinted he was through with football after losing his starting job last season to rookie Jay Cutler - derailed that trade by telling both teams he would retire rather than play for the Buccaneers.
Some NFL insiders believed Plummer was angling for Denver to work a trade deal with the Houston Texans, who are looking for a replacement for quarterback David Carr. But Plummer's retirement announcement remained, and suddenly the Broncos were looking for a backup for Cutler.
A number of teams, including the Buccaneers, the Vikings and the Texans, reportedly have strong interest in Garcia, 37, who is the top quarterback in an otherwise mediocre crop of free agents.
Garcia is coming off a terrific season in Philadelphia, where he took over for injured starter Donovan McNabb. With the scrambling Garcia under center and running back Brian Westbrook churning out 1,916 total yards and scoring 11 touchdowns (seven rushing, four receiving), the Eagles made it the second round of the playoffs. Garcia became a cult hero in Philadelphia.
But the Eagles, perhaps eager to stifle rumors that Garcia had eclipsed McNabb as their franchise quarterback, signed backup quarterback A.J. Feeley to a three-year contract extension. Garcia had been playing under a one-year contract in Philadelphia.
The Raiders have the No. 1 overall pick in April's NFL Draft and they are expected to select a quarterback, probably LSU's JaMarcus Russell, with that choice. It's believed that Garcia's hesitance to sign with the Raiders stems from the fact his tenure as a starter in Oakland would be short-lived because of the Raiders' draft plans.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/03/02/SPGSTOEE2V3.DTL
, and guys like Mughelie getting $18 you know Garcia is dealing from a position of strength as the #1 QB on the market. Frankly, I'm ecstatic to read the Raiders are trying to be responsible with their money. Because FA has killed this team since 1994 with the exception of Rich Gannon and Rod Woodson. They need to focus all of their energies on the draft and the 2nd and 3rd tier Free Agents, much like the Patriots have done for the last 6 years (as much as it pains me to say it).
