The Raiders signed tackle Khalif Barnes to a one-year contract today.
Barnes, 26, has 57 career starts in 60 games with experience at left and right tackle. The Raiders brought Barnes on to be a left tackle.
That means if Mario Henderson is going to be a starter, he's going to have to beat out Cornell Green at right tackle, which Henderson failed to do last year.
Barnes (6-5, 325) started 16 games for the Jacksonville Jaguars last season. He was a second-round pick of the Jaguars out of Washington.
This was a deal that was supposed to be done a week ago after Barnes enjoyed his visit to Oakland. But talks broke down and Barnes considered signing with Tampa Bay.
Ultimately, Barnes is a Raider where he'll be penciled in as the starting left tackle and will play for a coach he likes in Tom Cable.
This is Cable's second try at finding a left tackle in free agency. The Raiders tried Kwame Harris last season only to eventually bench him in favor of Henderson.
Oddly enough, the Raiders signed Harris while he was also considering a deal with Tampa, too.
Unlike Harris, Barnes doesn't come to Oakland having failed to hold on to a starting job with his previous team.
--Jason Jones








About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.