| Wimbley should draw plenty of interest on the free agent market. (US Presswire) |
The Raiders tried to convince Wimbley to take a paycut, and while he said he would rearrange part of his deal to help with Oakland’s salary cap issues, he also wasn’t willing to give back his money.
"We tried to make it work all afternoon, but just too many constraints with (the) Raiders cap situation," Wimbley's agent, Joe Linta, said in an email to the Associated Press. "Reggie McKenzie is a real pro and we appreciate how he handled it."
If Wimbley was on the roster by Saturday, he would have locked in $25.5 million of guaranteed money for the next three years.
Coming off a season in which he accumulated 63 tackles and seven tackles, Wimbley will draw immediate interest on the free agent market, particularly for those teams who want a less expensive version of Mario Williams.
The Raiders, meanwhile, have cut seven players this offseason, including five starters from the team that went 8-8 in 2011, as McKenzie and new coach Dennis Allen put their own stamp on the team in the first offseason since the death of longtime owner Al Davis.
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