Where Antonio Pierce has his wants and needs for the Tom Telesco and Tom Delaney are there with the fiscal responsibility and patience aspect of roster building. The head coach, general manager, and director of football administration, respectively, are working in unison to improve the Silver & Black.
Pierce, with his captivating and strong personality, is balanced by the Telesco, with his deliberate and patient personality. Delaney is the money man who is responsible for negotiating player contracts and managing the salary cap.
We’ve seen how the relationship is playing out in real time — especially during free agency. The Raiders will throw big money around, but the team will also be frugal, too. Case in point: The big free agent splash of landing defensive tackle Christian Wilkins and the departure of running back Josh Jacobs.
Las Vegas landed Wilkins — a premiere free agent — with a four-year, $110-million deal that guaranteed $57.5 million at signing. The 28-year-old defensive tackle received a $24-million signing bonus and holds an average salary of $27.5 million. In total, $82.75 million is total guarantees, The contract the Raiders gave Wilkins lands him in No. 2 in value and guaranteed coin at the defensive tackle position right Chris Jones who signed a rich five-year, $158.75-million contract with the
Jacobs, meanwhile, inked a four-year, $48-million contract with the that saw him receive $12.5 million at signing. The 26-year-old running got that guaranteed sum in the form of a signing bonus while he averages $12.5 million a year, according to Spotrac. The deal the Packers gave Jacobs lands him No. 3 in overall value at the position group. He’s behind the Alvin Kamara (five years, $75 million) and the Christian McCaffrey (four years, $64.053 million), but ahead the Jonathan Taylor (three years, $42 million) and the Saquon Barkley (three years, $37.750 million), who respectively signed an extension and new contract in free agency.
