University of Tennessee Athletics
Raiders sign Gibril Wilson from Giants
March 01, 2008 | Football
ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) -- The Oakland Raiders signed free safety Gibril Wilson to a six-year, $39 million contract on Friday, again adding a player coming off a Super Bowl championship.
Wilson's 284 solo tackles since entering the NFL in 2004 are the most of any safety during that span. The San Jose native had 70 tackles and a career-high four interceptions in 13 games for the New York Giants last season. He was a key member of the defense that shut down the New England Patriots in New York's 17-14 victory.
Wilson is the latest Super Bowl champion signed by Oakland owner Al Davis. The Raiders signed running back Dominic Rhodes from Indianapolis a year ago, and previously brought in players such as Larry Brown and Desmond Howard after they won Super Bowl MVP awards.
Oakland hopes the Wilson signing works out better than those. He will get about $16 million in guaranteed money in a deal agreed to on the first day of the free-agency period.
Wilson is expected to replace Stuart Schweigert and Hiram Eugene at free safety for Oakland in 2008. Schweigert lost his starting job to Eugene last season as Oakland's defense struggled during a 4-12 campaign. One of the team's biggest weaknesses was tackling in the secondary, something Wilson should help.
Coach Lane Kiffin had talked about possibly moving 2006 first-round pick Michael Huff from strong safety to free safety next season, but the addition of Wilson probably puts that to rest.
The move comes a day after the team re-signed defensive lineman Tommy Kelly to a seven-year contract that could be worth more than $50 million.
The Raiders also released offensive lineman Barry Sims on Friday, cutting ties with their longest-tenured player. Sims joined the team in 1999 as an undrafted free agent out of Utah. He played in 136 games in his career, making 119 starts, including all 16 last season at left tackle.
"In this salary cap era, it is often necessary for veteran players and clubs to part ways but Barry leaves the Raiders with sincere thanks to Al Davis and fondness for all of the players and coaches with whom he had," Sims said in a statement released by his representatives.
With last year's starting right tackle, Cornell Green, a free agent, Oakland is in the market for at least one tackle. The team met Friday with free agent Kwame Harris, a disappointment in five seasons across the bay with the San Francisco 49ers.
In other news, former Raiders receiver Jerry Porter signed a six-year, $30 million deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars that guarantees him $10 million, and quarterback Josh McCown signed a two-year deal with Miami instead of returning to Oakland as the backup to JaMarcus Russell.
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