Part of the Las Vegas Raiders’ struggles from the 2020 NFL season was the inconsistency on the offensive line. Talent was not the issue, but rather availability, as tackle Trent Brown and guard Richie Incognito both missed a majority of the season.
Incognito played just two games and heading into his age 38 season, that is far from desirable for the Raiders. In two seasons with the Raiders, he’s played in a total of 16 out of 32 potential games. Because of this, the Raiders had no choice but to release him, saving $5.4 million in cap space.
While Brown’s future is up in the air, Incognito is reportedly more likely to re-sign with the Raiders even after his release, according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic:
Incognito was due to make $5 million in salary. Wrote about his rehab last week, and the expectation is that he'll re-sign with the #Raiders for less money. https://t.co/o1EDVVLH5W
— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) March 5, 2021
Incognito’s original 2021 deal with the Raiders was entirely non-guaranteed, meaning they took on zero dead money by cutting him. This allows them to re-sign him to a cheaper deal while still saving a few million dollars.
After he is officially released and likely re-signed, the Raiders could have approximately $6 million in cap space. They may still want to clear more space given some of the names they’ve been linked to, but that amount does allow them to make small improvements while still focusing on the upcoming draft class.
Mike Mayock uncertain about Brown’s future
After quarterback Derek Carr, Brown has one of the largest cap savings should he be cut. While his talent is undeniable, he had a troubled 2020 season that has made general manager Mike Mayock consider the possibility of moving on from him.
He spoke candidly about the subject, saying the jury is still out on their final decisions with him.
