COLLINS’ STATUS IN LIMBO
The clock is ticking, but at least for another 24 hours, Kerry Collins will be a member of the Raiders.
After being informed that he was being capped by the team on Sunday, Collins was given a stay of execution by the NFL, which extended the waiver wire deadline until Wednesday at 6 p.m. It was the third such delay of the salary cap deadline, as the contentious talks between owners and the NFL Players Union regarding an extension of the collective bargaining agreement rage on.
An agreement could add $10 million or more to each team’s cap, giving Oakland more room to possibly keep him, but Collins’ release still looks inevitable.
He’s due a $2.5 million bonus if he’s on the roster at the start of the league season, which now begins Thursday at 9:01 p.m. Then come the $6 million in salary and $4.25 million in incentives.
The Files’ prediction is that Collins will still get capped and become a free agent, where he will join the Baltimore Ravens. Collins, 33, had the best years of his career statistically and made it to a Super Bowl during a five-year stint with the New York Giants, where he played for coach Jim Fassel — who has since been named the Ravens’ offensive coordinator. So the Files sees a good fit in Baltimore.
Then again, the Ravens’ alternative is Kyle Boller. No wonder they want Collins. Wherever Collins ends up playing, he’s mercurial. Keep an eye on him but temper those expectations right now. Don’t set yourself up for heartbreak.
