As the Raiders reportedly embark on a search for a General Manager, they should seriously consider the possibility that first-year coach Hue Jackson is perfectly capable of running the show.
Per a league source, the trade for linebacker Aaron Curry (who’ll debut Sunday as a starter) included a revised contract that limits Oakland’s financial investment in 2011 to $370,000, the prorated remainder of a league-minimum base salary of $370,000.
The source says that the rest of the guaranteed money on Curry’s contract was paid by the Seahawks in the form of a signing bonus before the trade went down.
Curry, the fourth overall pick in the 2009 draft, is still due to earn $5.7 million in 2012, but with the exception of $757,000, the amount is non-guaranteed. If the Raiders like what they see, they can keep him for the full amount -- or they can try to extend his contract. (And if they cut him, the guarantee will be offset by whatever he makes elsewhere.)
In the end, it’s a very low-risk and possibly very high-reward move for the Raiders.