The reason for Raiders fifth round compensatory pick Juron Criner being the only unsigned non-first round pick in the 2012 draft appears to be coming clear. He wants more bonus money than his draft slot dictates. According to sources cited by Bill Williamson of ESPN.com, it is hinging on $14,000 in bonus money. The Raiders are following protocol while Criner thinks he should be getting more.
Here is how Williamson explains it:
"Criner wants $158,000 while the team is offering $144,000...
"From picks No. 30-32 in the round; the difference between the bonus money was in the $2,000 range for each pick. The bonus money for the No. 32 pick in the fifth round (Cincinnati safety George Iloka) was $160,000-plus. Criner wants the $2,000 bonus decline to continue.
"However, the issue is Criner was the No. 33 pick of the round as a supplemental pick. The NFL's Management Council's guidelines for bonus slotting takes a significant decline for supplemental picks. The guidelines for the No. 33 pick of the fifth round is the $144,000 the Raiders are offering."
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Criner's agent has made it clear that there is no certainty a deal will get done prior to the first practice on Monday. And though there have been various reports that say a deal will get done in time, there is still uncertainty as this report suggests.
And haggling over $14,000 in bonus money to which you are not entitled is a ridiculous sticking point if there ever was one. It is very reminiscent of Michael Crabtree's holdout with the 49ers in 2009 when he thought he deserved to get number seven pick money (Where the Raiders chose Darrius Heyward-Bey) though he was chosen tenth overall.
And with all the "diva" talk of late, they don't get much more diva than Michael Crabtree. This continues to look worse and worse.
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