Oakland Raiders: 5 Players The Team Should Consider Pink-Slipping
By Kevin Saito
Austin Howard hasn’t necessarily been bad. He just hasn’t been all that good. He certainly hasn’t lived up to the five year, $30 million dollar deal he signed with the Raiders back in 2014. Injury and ineffectiveness limited Howard to 11 games last year with 10 starts.
And it seems safe to say that had it not been for injuries to others and a somewhat depleted line, Howard may not have even had 10 starts last year.
The right tackle spot has been routinely cited as the weak link in Oakland’s offensive line – one of the best in the NFL last season, despite the deficiencies on the right side. Oakland paid him a lot of money, hoping to see a better return on their investment. But after three seasons now, it seems safe to say that they probably won’t get it.
Should they choose to show him the door, Oakland still has some in-house options to fill the position. Vadal Alexander showed some real promise last season when he filled in for an injured Howard. No, it wasn’t the smoothest of debuts, but he played well overall and did a good job of holding his own.
They could also pursue Menelik Watson and sign him to a “prove it” type of deal. Watson has shown plenty of promise, but injuries have derailed his career to this point. They could also draft somebody to help fill that side of the line.
The point is that the Raiders have some options and the money being paid to Howard, could be put to better use.
Savings: $3.6 million