Raiders Sign Gibril Wilson To Preposterous 6-Year $39 Million Deal

The Oakland Raiders have been the model for dysfunction in the NFL, and after a couple of their most recent moves, have cemented their place as one of the worst front offices in the League. Days after signing Tommy Kelly to an asinine 7-year $50 million deal, the Raiders have struck again, signing unrestricted free agent safety Gibril Wilson to a 6-year $39 million contract, including $16 million in guarantees. The contract will pay Wilson $19.5 million over the first 3 years of the deal, so it doesn't necessarily seem like a contract with a bunch of inflated numbers, and averages $6.583 million a year. For Gibril Wilson, whom the Super Bowl winning New York Giants chose to not even attempt to re-sign, and the same player who has only mustered 11 interceptions and 27 passes deflected in 4 years in the NFL.

To put this signing into perspective, let's look at some of the recent contracts signed by other starting safeties in the NFL:
1) Bob Sanders signed a 5-year $37.5 million extension with the Indianapolis Colts, including $20 million in guaranteed money (12/28/2007); average of $7.5 million per year for the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year
2) Troy Polamalu signed a 4-year $30.19 million deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, with $15.375 million guaranteed (07/23/2007); average of $7.5475 million per year
3) Ed Reed signed a 6-year $40 millio extension with the Baltimore Ravens, including a $15 million signing bonus (06/28/2006); practical value a 4-year $20.385 million deal before base salaries jump and will force contract to be re-visited; average of $6.667 million per year, but more likely average of $5.097 million per year
4) Adrian Wilson signed a 5-year $21 million extension with the Arizona Cardinals (12/23/2004); average of $4.2 million per year (although likely to break the bank next offseason with another team)

So to review, the Raiders have made Gibril Wilson the 3rd highest paid safety in league history, when his own team didn't think he was good enough to even make a push to re-sign him.