The Golden Age for Raiders Haters

The Raiders have agreed to a deal with Javon Walker for $55 million that includes $27 million in the first three years, including $16 million guaranteed.

Walker, you might remember, held Darrent Williams in his lap as he died following a shooting outside of a nightclub. Now Walker has the Raiders in his lap as the franchise is dying. Some agents who heard about the news on NFL Network were stunned, even going so far as to wonder if it was April 1. There are even whispers that the Raiders management counsel was going to try to void the deal, though that doesn't seem possible.

The deal seems like a bad one, and it is. But you can't blame the Raiders. The Patriots got Randy Moss to take half of the money, and half of the years to stay in New England. But that's because people want to actually play in New England. The Raiders aren't going to get anybody to take a discount contract to play in Oakland. The only way for the Raiders to get anybody under contract is to overpay them.

And they are overpaying a guy who has knees of Jim Otto and the commitment of Todd Marinovich. The sources with the Broncos called him a head case and you have to wonder what kind of career he will have with the Raiders. Is he any better than the guy that they let go, Jerry Porter? The Raiders are desperate, and these kind of moves are going to ensure that the team continues to be the laughingstock of the NFL.

And it's awesome.