Curtis

Lofton

The Raiders’ starting middle linebacker would be Miles Burris if the season began today. That’s not good enough. Williams would fill a role-player run-stopping need in Oakland, upgrading on Pat Sims at nose tackle.

Lofton made it just one season into a “three-year, $18 million” contract. His release clears up $2 million in cap space. Lofton was benched down the stretch last season, and ended up playing only 585 snaps. He struggled mightily when on the field. Lofton turns 30 in June.

Lofton is a below-average run defender with next to no pass-coverage skills, so we’ll assume the Raiders targeted him for leadership purposes. He was the defensive signal-caller in New Orleans last season and should handle the same responsibilities in Oakland. Miles Burris will back him up at middle linebacker. If nothing else, Lofton should be an asset in IDP leagues.

Lofton has been one of Pro Football Focus’ worst inside linebackers through three weeks, and Ball got the start and played 36 snaps to Lofton’s 22. Ball’s strength is in coverage, and he was used primarily to stop Broncos TE Owen Daniels. It worked, as Daniels recorded zero catches on five targets. The Raiders gave Lofton $10 million guaranteed in March after he was released by the Saints.

The Falcons won’t overpay, but they want Lofton back. “I said this the other day, we would like to have Curtis Lofton back,” said Dimitroff. “He’s a fine football player. We are in the process of negotiating with Curtis and his representatives. That’s been an amicable negotiation and we’ll continue to work on it.”

It’s not good news for MLB Jonathan Vilma. The Bucs are also still “monitoring” a player they’ve reportedly cooled on. Lofton isn’t yet known to have scheduled any visits, though LaCanfora does confirm that Tampa has already submitted an offer.

GM Thomas Dimitroff confirmed that a long-term deal remains the goal for Grimes, who is due $10.431 million under the tag. Bypassing Dunta Robinson as Atlanta’s most effective corner -- and one of the top-five in the NFL -- Grimes would have landed a mega contract on the open market, perhaps from the division rival Bucs. With Grimes tagged, MLB Curtis Lofton is set to hit the open market.

The Bucs reportedly “cooled” their pursuit of Lofton last Tuesday, but Kaufman says they remain interested “at their price.” Lofton visited the Saints over the weekend, but has otherwise been greeted by a soft market. His price and the Bucs’ price could soon align.

If Vilma is suspended, as expected, Lofton will move back to the middle with David Hawthorne on the weak side and Scott Shanle on the strong side. Chris Chamberlain, signed away from the Rams, could end up competing for snaps with Shanle.

Lofton is believed to be seeking a deal similar to the four years and $36 million of Jets ILB David Harris. It’s a steep price for a coverage-deficient player expected to be removed in nickel packages. The Bucs could show interest in stealing him away from a division rival, leaving 2011 third-rounder Akeem Dent to start in the middle of Mike Nolan’s defense. Abraham is viewed as a one-dimensional injury risk at age 34.