cut and pasted:
The real problem, according to both sources, is Oakland has been unwilling to give a full "skill" guarantee to the $29 million. To this point, the Raiders only have guaranteed all the money in case Russell gets injured.
A skill guarantee covers a player in case he is cut because a team simply doesn't consider him good enough. Such questions of talent seem odd for the No. 1 overall pick.
"The Raiders were told that structure wasn't going to work then and it's not going to work now," a source said. "It's completely unacceptable. No No. 1 pick has ever agreed to that kind of deal in the salary cap era, and it's not going to start now."
There have been 15 players drafted No. 1 overall since 1993. According to an NFL Players Association source, none of them has received a contract that did not include the skill and injury guarantees.
The real problem, according to both sources, is Oakland has been unwilling to give a full "skill" guarantee to the $29 million. To this point, the Raiders only have guaranteed all the money in case Russell gets injured.
A skill guarantee covers a player in case he is cut because a team simply doesn't consider him good enough. Such questions of talent seem odd for the No. 1 overall pick.
"The Raiders were told that structure wasn't going to work then and it's not going to work now," a source said. "It's completely unacceptable. No No. 1 pick has ever agreed to that kind of deal in the salary cap era, and it's not going to start now."
There have been 15 players drafted No. 1 overall since 1993. According to an NFL Players Association source, none of them has received a contract that did not include the skill and injury guarantees.