Raiders LT Jared Veldheer mentioned during a radio interview with 95.7 FM that the two sides are currently discussing a long-term contract extension that would keep him in Oakland beyond this season.
“They’re in talks right now,” Veldheer said, via CSN Bay Area. “I’m not worried about that. I’m worried about finishing the year out and playing these last four games. I want to help this team as much as possible and to help turn that page and get going where we need to go.
“I believe that, if I handle that and play as well as I can play, good things will follow there. I’m really hoping and I’m pretty confident that I’ll continue to keep playing in Oakland.”
Veldheer, 26, is in the final year of his rookie contract and will likely be one of the most sought after left tackles on the open market. Veldheer just returned from a partially torn triceps this past week, so it will be important for him to return to form before the season is out.
When healthy, Veldheer is clearly the Raiders best offensive lineman, so it makes plenty of sense that they would engage him regarding contract discussions. In 2012, Veldheer ranked as a top-10 left tackle, according to Pro Football Focus and we have him currently listed as the No. 10 player in our Top 50 – Free Agents list.
The Raiders will have plenty of cap space to work with next season, which means there is a good chance that they could get something done in the near future if they are willing to offer him a market-value contract. If you take the average of the top-five left tackle contracts, the Veldheer stands to make close to $11 million annually and a deal could total $55 million with around $20 million guaranteed.
We’ll have more regarding a possible extension for Veldheer as the news is available.
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