David Amerson signs four-year extension with Raiders
The 24-year-old cornerback cashes in with the team that revived his career.
David Amerson didn’t really live up to the billing in Washington. Cut after just over two seasons after being a second-round pick, there was really no way to talk about him in any way other than as a disappointment. He had a total of two interceptions and one forced fumble in his time with Washington—pedestrian stats, at best.
Then, the Raiders called. Then, he won PFF’s Most Improved Player for 2015.
And now he has cashed in—big time:
#Raiders & CB David Amerson have reached an agreement on a 4-yr extension worth a max value of $38M, source said. Almost $18M in guarantees
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 15, 2016
The Raiders wasted absolutely no time locking up Amerson. Another year of elite play and this price would have gone through the roof, so they made the smart choice and didn’t hesitate. The world of difference in Amerson’s play shows greatly in his tape and his numbers. His 25 passes defended and four interceptions in 14 games with Oakland last year surpassed his entire totals in Washington.
Amerson’s contract could be used as a baseline for other young cornerbacks on the market – Malcolm Butler comes to mind – so there’s really no way to view this anything but a win for the Raiders. They get their young, starting cornerback back at price that is roughly at or slightly below market, and they don’t have to do the “based-on-what-other-players-got” contract dance with him in the future—those can result in negative feelings, and you never want that.
For Amerson…he gets paid what he deserves. Everybody wins.