How valuable is Hiram Eugene to the Raiders?

by Levi Damien on Feb 20, 2012 1:11 AM PST

Hiram Eugene at Raiders training camp 2011 (Photo by Levi Damien)

Hiram Eugene showed his worth to the Raiders during the 2010 season. He showed that his value is in his special teams play. And for his efforts, he was rewarded with a big contract from the Raiders. Some would say it was a bit ridiculous. This seemed to be a theme among the contracts the Raiders handed out last offseason.

Another one of those big contracts went to Stanford Routt and he was cut last week to avoid a $5 million guarantee kicking in. Routt is probably not the last "out of whack" contract to go bye bye this offseason. Whether Eugene is among them depends on how valuable they think he is to this team.

Eugene received a four year, $10.25 million contract. That may be seen as a little high in the eyes of Reggie McKenzie for a backup safety and special teams player. Then again, the man he backs up landed three times that amount when he signed a four year, $32 million contract. Both of these contracts are under the microscope right now.

He didn't play at all last season after suffering an injury in training camp. His absence has allowed us to look at the Raiders' special teams play both with and without him.

In 2010, he was among the league's best on coverage teams. He was tied for 12^th in the NFL in return tackles (16) according to Football Outsiders. The Raiders also enjoyed great play in the return game with Jacoby Ford taking three kickoffs back for touchdowns that season.

Last year, without Eugene, the Raiders couldn't consistently stop on coverage teams and weren't as lethal on returns either. Rock Cartwright did his best to pick up the slack but he can't do it alone, although sometimes it seemed like he was.

Instead of the Raiders scoring three return touchdowns as they had in 2010, they gave up three return touchdowns. That is unacceptable when you have the best kicker and punter in the NFL.

So where does Hiram Eugene's salary rank among the other lead leaders in return tackles? Of the other players who were at or above him in tackles during the 2010 season, there were six that were still under contract. Only one of them came even close to the kind of contract Eugene received. That was the Bills' George Wilson who received a 3 year, $7 million contract last offseason.

There is a big difference between them, however. Wilson started 13 games last season at safety and 12 games in 2009. Eugene had one season in 2008 in which he started ten games and has started a total of 19 games in his first four seasons before last season.

John Wendling, NaVorro Bowman, TJ Ward, Danny McCray, and James Casey were the others. And none of them crack even $1 million per season. While Eugene is set to make $2.25 mil this season, $2.75 mil next season, and $3.25 in 2014. I think it is safe to say that's not going to happen.

Eugene is a valuable special teams player and good depth at safety. But whatever Eugene's worth to this team on the field, it is nowhere near what his contract currently has him making. He will either take a pay cut or take a roster cut very soon. I am actually surprised it hasn't happened already.

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Comments

Al Davis Scholarship Program Member...

Time to move on unless he’s wants to restructure, especially coming of a serious injury.

I got more cars than most of you got friends , I got a BIG house on the BIG side of town, and I live life pretty much the way i want too. Wooo!!!- Ric Flair 1987

by SlaughtaHouse on Feb 20, 2012 1:20 AM PST reply actions

who?

jk i know who he is, but wouldn’t really miss him much. Good ST’s helps and thats cool he’s playing hard, but its too much money.

by qwazilla on Feb 20, 2012 1:29 AM PST reply actions

great post levi. I remember when McKenzie said the whole thing about the cost cutting we need to do and I remember highlighting Eugene’s contract in my mind. I couldn’t figure out how he was making so much. I am glad you cleared that up for me. He’s making way too much for a gunner. I remember he was decent at safety and at one point was in line to be our starter but that’s because Huff was terrible. Regardless, if Huff stays and moves to CB then I want Giordano to be our FS. The only way Eugene deserves that contract is if he is starting. I look forward to your other scouting reports of who isn’t living up to their contract. Right now, I’m taking a long hard look at John Henderson, Chris Johnson, Tommy Kelly (hopefully we restructure), and Cooper Carlisle(hopefully we restructure) and Aaron Curry (hope he restructures). Btw, I read that if we release Wimbley (since he does not want to restructure) then we have to pay him 6.5 mil and will only save 4.5 mil.

by antonioswancy on Feb 20, 2012 2:14 AM PST reply actions

The only drop off in ST that I did notice

We out kicked the coverage team on a few occasions last season and I don’t believe that ever happened the year before with Eugene as our gunner but correct me if I’m wrong.

Overall though, he’s good for depth and ST but, like Routt, costs more than he’s worth. There are plenty of guys that can fill Eugene’s shoes out there that would play for much less.

You know what would make a good story? Something about a clown who makes people happy, but inside he's real sad. Also, he has severe diarrhea.

by Buster Bluth on Feb 20, 2012 7:13 AM PST reply actions

Remember

When a player is gone the whole year you ten to forget about them. He needs to renegotiate his contract.

by Mallard Davis on Feb 20, 2012 7:29 AM PST reply actions

I don't forget

But something I didn’t mention here is in 2010, Stevie Brown had more special teams tackles than Eugene and last season Rock Cartwright led the team in special teams tackles. Neither of their salaries can sniff Eugene’s contract either.

by Levi Damien on Feb 20, 2012 12:31 PM PST up reply actions

Hiram IMO was a pro bowl special teams player the previous year

I still remember cheering when he blocked a punt for a score against SD and helped break the 13 game losing streak. ahhh the good ole days….

But seriously, Rock was nearly as good last year, and Hiram has never been a good player in the FS realm. If I were running things now, Mr. Eugene would need to restructure or look for other employment. The way I see it, special teams is very important, but only consists of about 10% of the plays during a game. Money would be better spent on the other 90% of the plays that the Raiders are not winning.

by TD Rader on Feb 20, 2012 7:53 AM PST reply actions

While Eugene hasnt nearly performed up to contract expectations, theres no way the Raiders decided to pay him without figuring him into plans as part of the regular defensive rotation.

My guess is without the injury we would have seen a whole lot of Hiram Eugene on passing downs and in various Nickel/Dime packages.

He’s a Raider: he’s a freak athlete and he plays special teams. He is actually valuable on the roster. Sometimes the “What have you done for me lately” mantra gets a little tired. If Eugene does get cut he’ll likely perform well, perhaps start somewhere else in the league

by Blake W on Feb 20, 2012 9:55 AM PST reply actions

He wont be the same player

Even if he can play again he wont be 100 percent of what he was. We can talk about the contract being out of whack all we want but the significance of his hip injury is more important. Even if Eugene signs a minimum salary contract its going to be diffacult for him to make the team. A hip injury ended Bo Jackson’s career and he was a superstar.

by UglyOne on Feb 20, 2012 10:23 AM PST reply actions

Don't think it was as severe as Bo's

His injury had some pretty bad complications that ruined his hip.

Rawr!

by Twiztid_Foo on Feb 20, 2012 10:28 AM PST up reply actions

Is he even coming back?

It seemed like a pretty severe injury. There may be some roster & cap protocol before he can be released.

Hard to imagine he’d be the same player. Regardless, I think the staff will bring in a bunch of new blood to compete on the 80 man roster.

by Grateful Reds on Feb 20, 2012 1:27 PM PST up reply actions

Bo had a congenital defect ...exposed by the injury ...

People can come back from a broken hip pretty damn well actually. It’s a bone, it can heal.

I like Eugene … he actually beat out Huff for the starting safety job one year, think it was 2009, forget if he lost it back to injury or play. And he’s a ST badass.

Last August in the one game he played (the preseason one he got injured in) he looked like a friggin man amongst boys … I literally remember sitting there going ‘Dude, why you playing this fucking HARD in the preseason?’ … a few plays later he was out for the season. He was going AT IT in that game, making plays all over the field. Pretty sure he got hurt trying to earn that starting FS job … I like that in a man.

by Brett J Valjalo on Feb 21, 2012 4:21 PM PST up reply actions

He didnt break any bones

He dislocated his hip. The fact that he had to have surgery is an indication that its serious.

Bo had a partially dislocated hip which can be worse than a complete dislocation but both are serious to a football player. Bo Jackson at 80 percent would still have an NFL career. Eugene at 80 percent wont.

by UglyOne on Feb 21, 2012 7:39 PM PST up reply actions