McFadden signs for six years, $60m

June 07, 2008|Associated Press

Darren McFadden and the Raiders entered contract talks with one major goal in mind: avoid a training camp holdout.

The sides accomplished that after only two days of negotiations, finalizing a $60 million, six-year contract that ensures McFadden will be in training camp on time and not repeat the protracted holdout that derailed quarterback JaMarcus Russell's rookie year in Oakland.

"I'm very happy to have it out of the way," McFadden said at a news conference yesterday. "I want to be in training camp. I want to be out there practicing and learning plays. Missing a day of training camp is like missing a week of college practices. It would be a major setback."

That's exactly what happened to Russell and the Raiders a year ago, when the No. 1 overall pick did not sign his $61 million contract until after the regular season started and ended up starting only one game.

McFadden, the touted running back from Arkansas, made avoiding a holdout a priority when he picked Ian Greengross as his agent, and talks with the Raiders started earlier and went smoother than they did with Russell a year ago. Greengross and McFadden, who was the fourth overall pick, sat down Tuesday night to go over his priorities in a contract and talks with the Raiders began the following day.

Greengross stayed in town when preliminary talks showed signs of progress and finalized the deal Thursday night. McFadden came back to the Raiders facility to sign the contract that will guarantee him $26 million.

Police point to Lynch

Authorities believe Bills running back Marshawn Lynch was driving the vehicle involved in a hit-and-run accident that injured a pedestrian last weekend.

"We're proceeding on the assumption that Lynch was driving the car," Erie County District Attorney Frank Clark said. On Thursday, Clark was limited to saying Lynch was inside the 2008 Porsche SUV when it struck a woman crossing an intersection in downtown Buffalo before speeding off early last Saturday.