The road that ultimately led former Pro Bowl right tackle Lincoln Kennedy to the Raiders was paved by foresight and an understanding of the importance of flexibility even at the expense of short-term financial gain.
The ninth overall pick in the 1993 draft by the Atlanta Falcons, Kennedy was uneasy from the get-go about his fit in head coach June Jones’ run-and-shoot offense. When it came time to negotiate his rookie contract, Kennedy and his agent structured the deal in a way that gave the former University of Washington star the flexibility to move on as quickly as possible if things didn’t work in Atlanta.
“My first contract was three years, $3 million,” Kennedy said. “We took less money because we needed the leverage to get out in case I didn’t like the run and shoot.”
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