According to ESPN AFC West blogger Bill Williamson, the Raiders have not talked to Wimbley "in several days" and the linebacker "is not interested in taking a pay cut."
The Raiders still have over a week to come to an agreement on a restructured contract with Wimbley, even if that scenario looks unlikely now.
If Wimbley remains on the Raiders' roster by March 17—the fifth day of the new league year—$17.5 million of Wimbley's contract becomes guaranteed. $4.5 million is guaranteed over 2012, $11 million in base salary guarantees in 2013 and $2 million is set in stone for 2014.
Wimbley signed a five-year, $48 million contract last August, and he's still looking at earning almost $40 million of that contract in coming years. If released now, the Raiders would save $4.5 million on the 2012 cap, plus any remaining savings that Wimbley would have otherwise earned from 2012-15.
As the Raiders attempt to get under the salary cap before next Tuesday's start of the new league year, Wimbley will either restructure or be cut. It doesn't appear if any other scenario works for the Raiders to get under the cap.
GM Reggie McKenzie successfully restructured the contacts of both Richard Seymour and Michael Huff over the last week, which inches the Raiders closer and closer to the league's cap number.
According to Brian McIntyre, who gave a wonderful breakdown on both restructures, the Raiders saved a boatload of money on this year's cap with both moves.
Seymour agreed to drop his base salary to near the league minimum in return for a fully guaranteed, $6.6 million roster bonus (treated like a signing bonus), saving the Raiders almost $6 million in cap space for 2012.
Huff also...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
