AFC West blog
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Janikowski receives a four-year, $16 million contract. Included in the deal is $9 million in guaranteed money, sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
It also removes arguably the top kicker from the free-agent market. Other notable free-agent kickers are expected to include Cincinnati's Shayne Graham and the New York Jets' Jay Feely. Arizona's Neil Rackers and Pittsburgh's Jeff Reed also are scheduled to be free agents.
In 10 seasons, all with the Raiders, Janikowski has scored 1,000 points, converting 78.4 percent of his field goal attempts (229 of 292) and 313 of 316 extra-point attempts. He scored 95 points in 2009.
Janikowski is coming off the best season of his 10-year career. He made 26 of 29 field goals, with his only misses coming from 45, 57 and 66 yards. He made six kicks of at least 50 yards, including a 61-yarder that was the fourth longest in NFL history.
Janikowski also had 17 touchbacks on 58 kickoffs for the sixth-best mark in the league last season.
The Raiders used a first-round pick to draft Janikowski in 2000, making him the first specialist in 21 years to go in the first round. Janikowski did not emerge as the game-changing kicker owner Al Davis hoped for at the time.
He missed 10 field goals as a rookie, and connected on only 76 percent for his first three seasons. But he has been very consistent the past two seasons, making 41 of 44 kicks inside of 50 yards. He became the all-time leading scorer in team history in 2008.
The Raiders have traditionally done a good job keeping their own free agents. They gave record deals last February to keep Pro Bowl punter Shane Lechler and star cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and also gave a big deal to keep defensive tackle Tommy Kelly in 2008.
The focus now turns to defensive lineman Richard Seymour. Oakland traded a 2011 first-round pick to New England for Seymour before last season. He had four sacks, but two of the them came in the season opener.If Oakland cannot sign Seymour to a long-term deal by Feb. 25, the team is expected to use the franchise tag to keep him for next season. Seymour, a five-time Pro Bowler, would be guaranteed $12,398,000 with a franchise tag.
Xavi backs Pep staySources: Oakland Raiders reached out to Stanford’s Jim Harbaugh
