After being quiet all morning, the Raiders began announcing all of the players they had re-signed today, just as practice was set to begin. The players were likely signed between last night and this morning, but the team typically doesn’t announce signings until they absolutely have to. Since the media would notice them at practice anyway, the Raiders made their announcement just minutes prior to what would become the obvious.
Players the team announced as re-signing today are FB Marcel Reece, LB Sam Williams, OT Khalif Barnes, DT Desmond Bryant, and LB Bruce Davis Jr.
Reece was the highest priority of the bunch. He had a breakout season last year at fullback and was widely considered a mismatch for opposing defenses. He was an exclusive rights free agent and there was little doubt he would be back.
Khalif Barnes was rumored to be coming back to Oakland as a reserve offensive tackle. He will be given a chance to compete for the starting job at right tackle now that the team has apparently opted not to sign free agent offensive tackle Jared Gaither. Other free agent offensive tackles the Raiders could re-sign include Mario Henderson and Langston Walker.
The other players were not high priorities but completing their deals was not expected to be difficult, so they were signed first.
The re-signings that everyone is waiting to hear are Zach Miller, Kamerion Wimbley, and Michael Bush. Miller’s name has not been mentioned much in discussing free agent players. This is good news as it most likely means that the Raiders have every intention of bringing him back. They may have even signed the deal already without announcing it.
Wimbley had the franchise tag placed on him and he is the only one among these players who has been able to practice. Now we wait to hear of him getting a long term deal.
Bush will be back next season as well, but as a restricted free agent he can’t practice. He has also been hoping to receive an offer for a long term deal but it is not certain if he will in the near future.
In other news, the Raiders announced they have signed undrafted free agent defensive tackle Derrick Hill out of Cal and have cut linebacker Quentin Scott.
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