Oakland
Raiders

Getting Ellis, he said, was simply a chance to add another quality player.

There are good arguments for keeping Burgess around through the final year of a five-year contract. Although his sack numbers of dwindled each season -- from 16 to 11 to 8 to 4.5 -- he could still serve a valuable function as a pass rusher and could conceivably stay healthier with reduced snaps.

In Burgess' biggest year, he wasn't a starter at the beginning of the season.

A salary drive could jump start Burgess' performance.

The other option, and one the Raiders won't discuss publicly, is to simply hold on to him through training camp until a non-division team which is concerned about its pass rush is willing to give the Raiders something substantial in return -- like a second-round draft pick or front-line player at a position of need.

OFFSEASON STANDOUT: Linebacker Jon Alston increased his weight from 214 pounds at the end of the 2008 season to 232 with no discernable loss of speed and is the favorite to start on the strong side.

LINEUP WATCH: Johnnie Lee Higgins is poised to start along with second-year man Chaz Schilens at wide receiver as No. 7 overall draft pick Darrius Heyward-Bey had his progress slowed with a pulled right hamstring.

ROOKIE IMPRESSIONS: Matt Shaughnessy, a third-round pick from Wisconsin, was the most durable and consistent of Oakland's draft picks and could compete for a starting position at base end.

INJURY WATCH: Wide receiver Javon Walker's recovery from knee surgery will be monitored closely after he said he was never healthy in his first year as a Raider.

CONTRACT TO WATCH: Mario Henderson, the odds-on favorite to start at left tackle, has retained the services of Drew Rosenhaus and could be a line for big money should he play as he did over the final three games of the season.

The speaker was Jerry Rice, the former 49ers and Raiders receiver, and was interesting in that Rice talked with the Raiders and hasn't addressed the 49ers.

Rice said he spoke to the team about setting goals.

"I like the intensity out there, but what I wanted to relay to them is that when they get to training camp, they've got to establish goals, that they're working toward a Super Bowl and need to be a cohesive unit to get there," Rice said.

-- Cable emphasized OTA workouts were a time for learning new systems and philosophies which will be integrated with what the Raiders did last season.

But it was also a time for a faster pace, and it seemed to catch up with a number of players who ended up with hamstring injuries, including rookies Darrius Heyward-Bey, Mike Mitchell and Louis Murphy.

Also missing the final OTA was Chaz Schilens, slated to be a starting wide receiver. Cable said he liked the conditioning of his team, but quarterback JaMarcus Russell said early on it seemed as if players were using the sessions to get into shape, rather than being in shape when they arrived.

"From the first day, I think you had guys coming off a time where they had (time) off," Russell said. "Guys were getting in shape to practice ... everything was moving at faster pace."

-- Former Dallas Cowboy Keith Davis, signed as a safety and special teams player, gave Cable his wholehearted endorsement on the idea of bringing aboard Greg Ellis.

"I had a meeting with Cable and he was asking me about Greg and what I thought about him," Davis said. "I said, If there's any possible, please, make it happen.' "

QUOTE TO NOTE: "The funny thing is I see the light at the end of the tunnel. You can call me crazy, but I see it at the beginning of every year. I come into every year and think this is going to be the year we turn it around," -- Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, admitting he is optimistic of a turnaround every season.

FRANCHISE PLAYER: None.

TRANSITION PLAYER: None.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS (not tendered)

--WR Drew Carter (not tendered as UFA June 1).

--WR Ashley Lelie (not tendered as UFA June 1).

--QB Marques Tuiasosopo (not tendered as UFA June 1).

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: None.

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS: None.

PLAYERS RE-SIGNED

--LB Ricky Brown: RFA tendered at $1.545M; terms unknown.

--G Cooper Carlisle: UFA; 5 yrs, terms unknown.

--LS Jon Condo: ERFA; terms unknown.

--LB Isaiah Ekejiuba: UFA; $5.45M/3 yrs, guarantees unknown.

--S Hiram Eugene: ERFA; terms unknown.

--DT William Joseph: UFA; terms unknown.

--CB Justin Miller: UFA; terms unknown.

--CB Nnamdi Osomugha: Potential UFA; $28.5M/2 yrs; all guaranteed with third year team option.

--CB Chris Johnson: Potential UFA; $15.3M/4 yrs, $4M SB; 2009 cap: $3M.

--P Shane Lechler: Potential UFA; $12M/4 yrs, $9M guaranteed.

--C Chris Morris: ERFA; terms unknown.

--TE Tony Stewart: UFA; terms unknown.

--LB Sam Williams: UFA; terms unknown.

PLAYERS ACQUIRED

--OT Khalif Barnes: UFA Jaguars; $1.2M/1 yr.

--DT Ryan Boschetti: UFA Redskins; terms unknown.

--S Keith Davis: UFA Cowboys; terms unknown.

--DE Greg Ellis: FA Cowboys; 3 yrs, terms unknown.

--TE John Paul Foschi: FA; terms unknown.

--WR Will Franklin (waivers Lions).

--QB Charlie Frye: Not tendered as UFA by Seahawks; terms unknown.

--QB Jeff Garcia: UFA Buccaneers; terms unknown.

--QB Bruce Gradkowski (waivers Browns).

--OT Marcus Johnson: UFA Vikings; terms unknown.

--FB Lorenzo Neal: UFA Ravens; terms unknown.

--WR Samie Parker: FA; terms unknown.

--OT Erik Pears: Not tendered as RFA by Broncos; terms unknown.

--RB Gary Russell: FA; terms unknown.

--C Samson Satele (trade Dolphins).

PLAYERS LOST

--FS Rashad Baker: UFA Eagles; 1 yr, terms unknown.

--LB Marquis Cooper (presumed deceased in boating accident).

--WR Ronald Curry (released).

--DE Kalimba Edwards (released/failed physical).

--FB Justin Griffith (released).

--C Jake Grove: UFA Dolphins; $29M/5 yrs, $14.5M guaranteed.

--OT Kwame Harris (released).

--S Gibril Wilson (released).