Report: Raiders seeking pay cut for LT Penn
The Oakland Raiders are seeking a pay cut or contract restructure with left tackle Donald Penn, less than a year after signing him to an extension, according to a Las Vegas Review-Journal report.
Per the Review-Journal's Michael Gehlken, the team would like to convert the $3 million of non-guaranteed money in Penn's 2018 salary into bonuses or incentives.
Penn, who has yet to practice since suffering a Lisfranc fracture in Week 15 last season, signed a two-year, $21 million extension last September after holding out for almost all of training camp. The deal guaranteed half of Penn's $6 million base salary in 2018 -- meaning Oakland would take a $3 million dead-money hit by releasing him this year -- with an additional $1.5 million to be made in per-game roster bonuses. Penn could also make up to $10.35 million in 2019, but none of that is guaranteed.
The 35-year-old remains on the physically unable to perform list after having surgery to repair the Lisfranc fracture in his right foot, an injury that often lingers and remains painful after rehab. His absence in Weeks 16 and 17 marked the first time Penn has ever missed a regular-season game in 11 NFL seasons (174 games, 170 starts).
Penn earned his second consecutive Pro Bowl nod last year. He has allowed 5.0 sacks and committed 15 penalties over the last two seasons, per STATS LLC.
Rookie Kolton Miller, who the Raiders took 15th overall out of UCLA in April, has spent the entire offseason at left tackle in Penn's absence, though he could move to the right side if Penn returns to full health.
The team also drafted tackle Brandon Parker out of North Carolina A&T with the first pick in the third round, after bringing in veteran right tackle Breno Giacomini in free agency. David Sharpe, a 2017 fourth-round pick, has also earned reps on the right side.
Elsewhere in Raiders camp, safety Obi Melifonwu is being evaluated for a lower-body injury after missing his second consecutive practice on Wednesday.
Head coach Jon Gruden called the issue a "flare-up," adding, "We're still kind of looking into that."
A 2017 second-round pick, Melifonwu started and finished his rookie year on injured reserve with a knee injury and hip injury, respectively, each of which required surgery. He played in five games (one start) in the middle of the season, making six tackles on 34 defensive snaps.
During the team's offseason workouts, Gruden sounded disappointed with Melifonwu's progress in his rehab from the hip surgery, saying, "He doesn't look close to me at all," and adding, "I haven't seen much of Obi except in the training room."
--Field Level Media
