Despite comments from Raiders G.M. Reggie McKenzie and coach Jon Gruden that indicated receiver Michael Crabtree and running back Marshawn Lynch were in the plans for 2018, both could be gone before the regular season.
That’s the word from Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, who reports that both players are in flux and could be out of Oakland this year.
The issue is the players’ salaries: Crabtree has a cap hit of $7.7 million this season, while Lynch has a cap hit of nearly $6 million and could earn more in performance incentives. The Raiders would like to have both players back, but not necessarily at those prices.
Lynch has a roster bonus of $1 million due on March 18, so the Raiders may need to decide on his status soon. There’s more time to decide on Crabtree’s status. But decisions will need to be made on both players at some point in the months ahead, and those decisions won’t be as easy as McKenzie and Gruden suggested.
