Raiders still shopping

The Raiders had no problem doling out big contracts to Cory Littleton, Carl Nassib and Nick Kwiatkoski. Jon Gruden apparently isn’t finished shopping just yet.

Less than two weeks before the start of training camp reports circulated that the Raiders had made an offer for free agent pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney. Clowney, who has 32 career sacks, at one point was seeking a deal that would pay him around $22 million annually but has since backed off and is asking for something in the $17 million range.

That’s still a bit too pricey for the Raiders, who have less than $8 million worth of space left under the salary cap. Cleveland and Tennessee have also shown interest in Clowney and both teams have reportedly offered deals that would pay the 27-year-old significantly more than what Las Vegas is offering.

Freeing up additional room under the cap wouldn’t be a huge problem for the Raiders if they are serious about bringing Clowney in. Contracts can easily be re-worked to create space, and head coach Jon Gruden has been pushing general manager Mike Mayock and owner Mark Davis to do just that, although nothing has come of it as of yet.