When Jerry Porter switched his number this offseason, he said he was ready for a new start and a new attitude after feuding last season with former coach Art Shell.
That attitude change has a price, though, and Porter is not willing to pay it.
The Oakland Raiders receiver said he would have to pay $210,000 to switch his uniform from No. 84 to 81 in order to reimburse the team and Reebok for the cost of the unsold jerseys.
"Man, there's a couple of nice cars I'd like to get for that money," Porter said. "I could buy a nice vacation home, or at least go half on one with someone else."
March 2007 - Las Vegas Raiders Wiretap
Kiffin Sends Message To Mike Williams
Raiders coach Lane Kiffin said former Vikings receiver Travis Taylor was signed to increase competition. Kiffin was asked if the move sent a message to the idle Mike Williams.
"I don't know, you have to ask Mike that," Kiffin said. "I would hope so."
Williams and quarterback Josh McCown were acquired in a trade with the Lions last month. A highly touted playmaker from USC, Williams did little in Detroit. So far with the Raiders, Williams has scarcely played because of a leg pull.
Taylor, who signed as an unrestricted free agent Tuesday, is a legitimate player who could win the starting flanker job.
"Here's a guy who had over 30 catches for six or seven years in a row," Kiffin said.
JaMarcus Sits Out Because Of Wisdom Teeth
Rookie quarterback JaMarcus Russell of the Oakland Raiders sat out most of practice with problems with his wisdom teeth, which could come out today or Friday.
Raiders Sign WR Travis Taylor, RB Curtis Brown
The Raiders agreed to contracts Tuesday with free agent wide receiver Travis Taylor and running back Curtis Brown.
Taylor had 57 catches for 651 yards and three touchdowns last season for the Vikings before becoming a free agent. A former first-round pick by the Ravens in 2000, Taylor has 311 career receptions for 4,013 yards and 22 touchdowns.
The Raiders were looking for a veteran receiver after trading Randy Moss to New England during last month's draft. The top two receivers on the roster are Jerry Porter and Ronald Curry, but Oakland was looking to add depth.
Former Raiders' Coordinator Says Moss' Skills Were Diminishing
Brett Favre was so angry that the Packers didn't trade for Randy Moss that he called out the organization. Well, not everybody shares his high opinion of the wide receiver.
"Randy Moss is a player whose skills are diminishing, and he's in denial of those eroding skills," former Raiders offensive coordinator Tom Walsh told the Boston Globe for Sunday's edition. "Randy was a great receiver, but he lacked the work ethic and the desire to cultivate any skills that would compensate for what he was losing physically later in his career.
"He told me last year, 'I'm too old to practice on Wednesday and Thursday, but I'm not too old to play on Sunday.' Did they start a senior league?"
Walsh was fired, along with head coach Art Shell, after Oakland's 2-14 season. Moss was shopped by the new Raiders regime and finally landed in New Endland.
Raiders Fire Executive Michael Lombardi
The Raiders fired senior personnel executive Michael Lombardi on Wednesday, further distancing themselves from last year's 2-14 season.
Lombardi's role had been diminishing in recent months and the move was expected. He was not seen at practice during last weekend's mandatory minicamp.
The Raiders did not say if anyone would take Lombardi's job, however director of football operations Mark Jackson has been handling much of Lombardi's work of late.
Lombardi did not immediately return a phone message.
Raiders And Titans Lead Chase For Keyshawn
SI.com has learned the Oakland Raiders and the Tennessee Titans are the leading contenders to sign the recently released Keyshawn Johnson.
The Seattle Seahawks are also interested in the wide receiver.
Lombardi On His Way Out This Week?
Personnel director Michael Lombardi was seen once by reporters in three days, and then only briefly in the parking lot Friday.
Lombardi could get fired or quit any day. He is scheduled to meet with owner Al Davis on Tuesday, according to a source.
Slender Sapp Drops Almost 50 Pounds
JaMarcus Russell's immense size was much less of a jolt for many of the Raiders than the sight of Warren Sapp.
The formerly bulky Sapp arrived at minicamp this weekend looking like a scaled-down version of himself, dropping nearly 50 pounds since the end of last season and weighing only about 25 pounds more than the rookie quarterback.
"He looks funny, doesn't he," Derrick Burgess said. "Looks good though. I like what he did for himself. That should add about six more sacks to it I bet."
Life Without Moss Not So Difficult For Raiders
The poster-sized picture of Randy Moss making a leaping catch was taken down from the Raiders' facility within hours of his trade to New England.
Seventh-round pick Johnathan Holland and undrafted free agent Marquise Cole each are wearing Moss' old uniform number, yet generating much less attention than the old No. 18. The brief but unproductive Randy Moss era in Oakland is officially over.
"It seemed a little odd at the time but a number is a number," Holland said. "I am not going to dwell on it. It's his old number and it's my number now so you just have to roll with the punches and deal with it."
Russell's Live-Arm Makes Early Impression On Raiders
The NFL's top pick made an immediate impression on the Raiders in his first practice.