Today is the first day teams can begin releasing veterans and save some money.
The Raiders began this process last season when they cut DeAngelo Hall.
Don't expect that to be the only move.
A few candidates to be let go at some point this offseason are:
WR Ronald Curry: After he was benched, Curry said he expected to be let go during the offseason because of his salary and the Raiders wanting to play younger wide receivers. It would be the right thing to allow Curry to walk.
S Michael Huff: If the Raiders were willing to dump Hall after eight games for not working out, it's hard to imagine them holding on to their first-round pick from the 2006 NFL Draft. He was relegated to playing special teams much of last season and isn't a favorite of owner Al Davis. After one season, Davis had already begun distancing himself from Huff, implying the decision to go with Huff in the draft was Art Shell's not his. And the team liked the job Hiram Eugene did in replacing Huff.
T Kwame Harris: The Raiders went out of their way to let reporters know Harris, who signed a three-year deal last year that his contract was designed to allow the Raiders to let him go after a season if things didn't work out. His being benched for Mario Henderson would seem to indicate things didn't work out.
Many fans are clamoring for WR Javon Walker to be on this list. I'm not convinced Davis is going to let Walker go yet. Walker being injured last season could give him another season. And prior to his injury, coach Tom Cable said Walker had "stepped his game up."
And I'd be shocked if DT Tommy Kelly didn't return (even if a lot of fans want him gone, too). He was coming a major knee injury and should be given a chance to see if he does like many players and show a lot of improvement in his second season back from the injury.
--Jason Jones
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