Raiders cut Chris Johnson, get under cap

One of the expected Raider cuts was to be Chris Johnson. Now it is official according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. He is due to earn a base salary of $3.5 million next season-all of which would count against the cap. That was far too much for a guy who lost his starting job last season which is part of what made his release an inevitability.

The saving of $3.5 million puts the Raiders under the projected salary cap. The news of Carson Palmer's restructure put them just a shade over $120 million which is where the cap is said to be when it is released. So Johnson's released puts them under by as much as $3 million.

Chris Johnson's release means all three of the Raiders top corners of 2010 are now gone. Nnamdi Asomugha left as a free agent following the 2010 season and the team cut Stanford Routt in mid February to avoid paying him a $5 million roster bonus.

It leaves the Raiders with last season's rookie draft picks, DeMarcus Van Dyke and Chimdi Chekwa as the team's most likely starters on the current roster. The team also acquired CB Brandon Underwood as a free agent just after the Routt release.

There are plenty more cuts to come. The next couple expected cuts are DT John Henderson and safety Hiram Eugene. The two of them are worth a hefty $7 million against the salary cap.

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