Dein erstes Forum » their farewells this week. Other players

ALAMEDA, Calif. Red Schoendienst . -- The Oakland Raiders opened free agency on Tuesday by agreeing to a five-year, $42.5 million contract with offensive lineman Rodger Saffold and keeping oft-injured running back Darren McFadden on a one-year deal worth up to $4 million. Oakland and former New York Jets right tackle Austin Howard also agreed to a five-year, $30 million contract, with $15 million guaranteed, according to two people with knowledge of the deal. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Raiders had not announced the signing. ESPN first reported Howards deal. But the day was just as notable for the players who left town. Left tackle Jared Veldheer and defensive end Lamarr Houston, considered building blocks in the rebuilding plan, signed as free agents with Arizona and Chicago, respectively. Also, last years leading rusher Rashad Jennings said on Twitter that he was flying to New York and was looking forward to signing a deal with the Giants. After two years of being hamstrung by bad contracts that left little room to manoeuvr, general manager Reggie McKenzie was able to spend for the first time with about $60 million in cap room at the start of the league year. But he chose not to use the franchise tag on either Veldheer or Houston and gave the biggest contract of his tenure to Saffold. Saffold is guaranteed $21.5 million in the deal. He will be paid $16 million for next season and $27.6 million over the first three years in a sign that the Raiders valued the injury-prone Saffold over the home-grown Veldheer. ESPN first reported the terms. Veldheer, a third-round pick in 2010 out of Hillsdale College, had been one of the better acquisitions by late owner Al Davis in his later years running the team, starting 42 consecutive games at left tackle before tearing his triceps in training camp last summer. He missed 11 games last year and did not play up to the level he was at in 2012 after his return. Saffold is a versatile blocker with experience playing both tackle spots and right guard in four seasons with St. Louis. But he has had problems with durability, missing 17 games with a variety of injuries. Howard spent the last three years with the Jets, and started every game the last two seasons after winning the job at right tackle over Wayne Hunter before the 2012 season. The 6-foot-7, 333-pound Howard signed with Philadelphia as an undrafted free agent out of Northern Illinois in 2010. He joined Baltimores practice squad in 2011, and signed by the Jets to their active roster a few weeks later. McFadden had been considered one of the many first-round disappointments in Davis final draft. Picked fourth overall out of Arkansas in 2008, McFadden has missed 29 games in six seasons and never gone through a full season healthy. McFadden had his biggest success in two years with Hue Jackson calling plays, averaging more than 5 yards per carry in 2010 and 11. But he has averaged just 3.3 yards per carry the past two seasons, second-worst in the NFL in that span to the recently retired Rashard Mendenhall. A move from a zone-blocking to a power scheme was supposed to spark McFadden last season but he rushed for just 379 yards and averaged 3.3 yards per carry in 10 games. Jennings was considered a stronger possibility to come back after setting career highs with 733 yards rushing, 292 yards receiving and six touchdowns. Houston, a second-round pick in 2010, had been Oaklands most consistent defensive player the last few years, but the Raiders chose not to pay him as an elite pass rusher because he had only 10 sacks the past two seasons. Lane Thomas .com Tours Nova Scotia Open. The 27-year-old Sloan, a former Texas-El Paso player from Calgary matched first-round leader Rodriguez at 10-under 132 on Ashburn Golf Clubs New Course. Jordan Hicks . - UFC 178, previously announced for Sept. http://www.custommlbcardinalsjersey.com/custom-edmundo-sosa-jersey-large-1251q.html . -- Zach Johnson asked his short-iron approach on the par-4 18th to "Do something right, baby.BARCELONA, Spain -- Coach Gerardo Martino said he was leaving Barcelona after a disappointing first season that ended with his team losing its Spanish league title on the seasons final day. The Argentine manager said he had reached "an agreement to cease being the coach" after Barcelona was held to 1-1 by new champion Atletico Madrid on Saturday. Martino was hired last summer and tasked with continuing Barcelonas winning era started by predecessor Pep Guardiola in 2008, but Barcelona finished the season without a major trophy for the first time since the 2007-08 season. Former Barcelona player Luis Enrique is expected to replace Martino, who left with one year left on his contract. "I am deeply sorry that I couldnt help my players reach the clubs goals that it has been reaching year after year," said Martino, who refused to take questions from the press after the match. "I am sure (my players) will have more successes (in the future). I dont have anything else to say except to thank them. We admired these players from afar, we admired them from up close, and I am sure I will continue admiring them because they will get back to winning again." Martiino alluded for weeks to a possible exit, saying his future had already been decided regardless of how the league ended after Barcelonas exit from the Champions League to Atletico, and loss in the Copa del Rey final to Real Madrid. Willie McGee. On Saturday, he said the decision was taken "independently of the game" that limited him to a Spanish Supercup as his only trophy in one season in charge of the Catalan club. "We thank Tata because he took over during a difficult season," Barcelona sports director Andoni Zubizarreta said. "Even so, we made the final of the Copa del Rey and were within five minutes of winning the league title." Speculation has grown that Enrique will be named to take Martinos place after he stepped down as Celta Vigo coach following a meeting with Barcelona last week. Barcelona needed to win the match at Camp Nou to win the league, but Diego Simeones Atletico emerged undefeated from its sixth meeting with Barcelona this season. Martinos goodbye came after goalkeeper Victor Valdes and captain Carles Puyol said their farewells this week. Other players will likely join them with the club set to overhaul its squad. ' ' '