Raiders release Crabtree, sign Nelson.
To make room for free agent Nelson, team has to cut Crabtree
When Jordy Nelson’s plane touched down in the Bay Area on Wednesday, Derek Carr was waiting for him. The two spent almost all day together, both at the team facil- ity and driving around the area. They saw neighborhoods where some of the Raiders reside, the hillside, California cattle and Nelson evenmet Carr’s family as the free-agent wide receiver weighed whether he wanted this to be his newhome after a decade with the Green Bay Packers.
Nelson, 32, joined the Packers in 2008 as a second-round draft pick and had been with the team until his release on Tuesday. He developed a reputation as one of the league’s best receivers and a key cog in the locker room. But before Nelson could embark on an 11th season in Green Bay, he was tasked with finding a new team.
He officially found that teamThursday, when he signed a two-year deal with the Raiders. To make room salary wise, the Raiders cut veteran Michael Crabtree.
Former Packers wide receivers
coach and offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett, now the Raiders wide receivers coach, contacted Nelson immediately after his release. Jon Gruden piled on, too, and Oakland moved quickly with Nelson taking his first visit to Alameda. He was scheduled to take visits with the Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints, but those trips never happened.
“Obviously that was a little shock to the system and not what you want to hear after you’ve been somewhere for 10 years, but we know it’s part of the business,” Nelson said on a conference call Thursday of being released by Green Bay. “Once that happened and the news broke, people started reaching out. Obviously, I know Edgar Bennett from my years in Green Bay, so he reached out right away. Him and Coach Gruden were all over trying to get me out here as soon as possible.”
Nelson was one of six new Raiders announced on Thursday, joining running back Doug Martin, safety Marcus Gilchrist, tight end Derek Carrier, fullback Keith Smith and linebacker Tahir Whitehead. Veteran tight end Lee Smith also signed resigned with the team.
Martin adds veteran depth to a backfield still featuringMarshawn Lynch for now. Carrier is a blocking tight end, a skill set Gruden treasures. Gilchrist could very well start next to Karl Joseph in the secondary. Smith is another blocker up front and could contribute on special teams. Whitehead, the last signing of the day, can play each linebacker position.
The most notable signing, Nelson, took a 6:30 f light out west Wednesday morning, he said, and he hasn’t left the Bay Area since landing.
“The plan was to make some more trips, but you don’t ever know what’s gonna happen,” Nelson said. “Obviously there’s a financial part of that. It’s not fair for me to fly around for fun just to see different areas. One thing I didn’t want to do is just fly around the country just because.”
Nelson had spoken to James Jones, a teammate in Green Bay who also played for the Raiders in Carr’s rookie season. He also knew of Carr from talks with Packers receiver Davante Adams, Carr’s close friend and top target at Fresno State.
“I knew a lot about him before I even came out here,” Nelson said. “I think it’s a great fit to be with him for the next couple years.”
In his career, Nelson has 550 catches for 7,848 yards and 69 touchdowns. His production took a dip last season, though, as his numbers went from 85 catches, 1,314 yards and eight scores in 2013 to 98 catches, 1,519 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2014 to 97 catches, 1,257 yards and 14 scores in 2016 ( Nelson missed 2015 with a right knee injury) to 53 catches for 482 yards and six touchdowns in 2017 while quarterback Aaron Rodgers played only seven games due to injury.
“If you look two years ago, the year I won NFL Comeback Player of the Year coming off my ACL, I was still productive – 1,200 yards, 14 touchdowns,” Nelson said. “I think we had a lot of different things going on last year that obviously affected that. I can still run. I can still catch. Football, at this level, a lot of people focus on speed, but I ran a 4.5 coming out of college so I wasn’t blazing then either. It’s different when you get helmet and shoulder pads on. I think I can do that. I can make plays.”
The one road bump Nelson might encounter is what number to wear. He wore No. 87 in Green Bay, the number currently worn in Oakland by former Packers teammate Jared Cook.
“I got Cook’s number in my phone,” Nelson said. “I gotta give him a call, but we’ll see. If he charges a dollar for it I, I don’t think I’ll pay it. I’m a pretty cheap guy. I’ll have to work on my negotiating skills. I’m not a big guy to worry about that stuff. I’ll figure out some number, and we’ll go play football.”
Nelson turns 33 in May but vows he has plenty left in the tank. Nelson takes over the No. 2 spot in Oakland’s receiving group behind Amari Cooper.