Since NT B.J. Raji was the No. 9 overall draft pick, he needs some players just above or below him to sign so his contract can be slotted in between them. I noted earlier that the No. 10 overall pick, WR Michael Crabtree, might be causing problems for both Raji and OT Eugene Monroe, who was the No. 8 overall pick. Or maybe No. 6 overall pick OT Andre Smith is causing a problem.
But the bigger problem might be the signed player, WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, who was the No. 7 overall pick, and just signed with the Raiders:
Complicating negotiations with Monroe, it seems, is the contract signed by seventh-overall pick Darrius Heyward-Bey of the Raiders, who was selected one slot above Monroe. The guaranteed money in Heyward-Bey's contract represents roughly a 20.5 percent increase over the deal signed by last year's No. 7 overall pick, Sedrick Ellis. Heyward-Bey's base salary totals are an increase of 19.5 percent over Ellis' contract.
The Raiders screwed up the slotting system because they overpaid by 20%. Now Raji's agent, and all the agents representing players around him, have to figure out what to ask for. They better figure it out this week.