The Facts: A league source tells us that the primary roadblock to the negotiation of a contract between the No.1 overall pick in the 2007 draft and the team that drafted him is not money. Instead, the delay in a deal between Russell and the Raiders is due to the structure of the deal.
Diehards Line:According to PFT editor Mike Florio, a tentative agreement has been reached regarding the total amount of guaranteed money, and that if the deal is finalized pursuant to those terms Russell will realize more guaranteed money than was paid in 2006 to defensive end Mario Williams of the Texans, the No. 1 selection. The snag is said to be allocation of guaranteed money to an option bonus. ... Stay tuned.