Breaking Down Oakland Raiders’ 2013 Salary Cap: Where Is Money Best Spent?

Heading into the 2013 NFL offseason, GM Reggie McKenzie and the Oakland Raiders will once again have a lot of work to do in regards to the salary cap. 

As the San Francisco Chronicle’s Vic Tafur writes, the Raiders are once again expected to be right up against that cap. 

Outside of the voiding Richard Seymour deal, the Raiders' five biggest contracts, belonging to Carson Palmer, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Tommy Kelly, Tyvon Branch and Michael Huff, are projected to account for a staggering $59,055,684 against the salary cap in 2013. That total equates to 48.8 percent of the projected NFL salary cap of $121 million. 

Consequently, any high-profile moves are extremely unlikely for at least another season. 

Considering all of which, where the Raiders’ current salary cap money is being best spent is in some of their less expensive players. In fact, one could argue that it is these players whom are the most productive on the roster. 

In what is an improving (considering where it was) but still tight salary cap situation, here is a look at five Raiders players where money is well spent.

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