Raiders Are Still Under Spending Threshold, Could Be Forced To Pay NFLPA Difference

According to Jason La Canfora, the Raiders are the only team who has yet to reach the spending threshold mandated in the collective bargaining agreement.

The Raiders have a few months to spend the required amount of money or face discipline from the NFL Players Association.

Teams are required to spend at least 89 percent of the salary cap in cash in a four-year period by the time the 2016 league year concludes. However, the Raiders remain below this mark and could be forced to make up the difference by sending it to the NFLPA.

If the NFLPA receives a lump sum payment from the Raiders, La Canfora suggests they could distribute the money to current and former Raiders who played for the team during the four-year period.

Even so, La Canfora believes it’s more likely the Raiders will use this money to reinvest in their current group of players.

The Raiders can’t negotiate a new contract for QB Derek Carr until after the year and his contract would be complicated and like require some time. One player worth watching is RB Latavius Murray, who is an impending free agent that the team would like to retain long-term.

Murray, 26, is a former sixth-round pick of the Raiders back in 2013. He’s currently in the final year of his four-year, $2.266 million contract and stands to make a base salary of $675,000 for the 2016 season.

This season, Murray has appeared seven games and rushed for 393 yards on 89 carries (4.4 YPC) to go along with 18 receptions for 103 yards receiving and eight touchdowns.