The Oakland Raiders and ex-Cowboys defensive end Greg Ellis have agreed to terms on a contract today, but Ellis has yet to sign.

Ellis is 33 years old and has played for the Dallas Cowboys for all 11 of his NFL seasons.  Ellis can play both linebacker and defensive end.  The Raiders will most likely use him as a defensive end opposite Derrick Burgess.

Ellis recorded 3 sacks last season, but has had 6 or more sacks in a season 8 times.  He has sacked the quarterback a total of 77 times in 162 games.

The Raiders now have six quarterbacks on their roster after the free-agent signing of Charlie Frye.

Frye is 27 and spent the last two seasons with the Seattle Seahawks after the Cleveland Browns had given up on him.  He was a third-round selection in the 2005 NFL Draft, and is also the only player in league history to begin a season as a starter and then be traded after one game.

Frye’s career stats include 3,573 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, 25 interceptions, and 4 rushing touchdowns.

The Oakland Raiders have added some great depth to their backfield by picking up veteran fullback Lorenzo Neal and running back Gary Russell.  Neal played for the Ravens last season and will now be competing for a spot on the roster with Oren O’Neal and Luke Lawton. 

Gary Russell comes from the Pittsburgh Steelers, where last season he played in 12 games carrying the ball 28 times for 77 yards and 3 touchdowns.

The Raiders have drafted Maryland Wide Receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey with their 7th pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.  Michael Crabtree was expected to be selected, but was passed on by the Raiders and later drafted by the San Francisco 49ers.

Heyward-Bey’s college career stats at the University of Maryland include 138 receptions for 2,089 yards and 13 touchdowns.  Heyward-Bey has tremendous speed, registering a 4.30 in the 40-yard-dash.

The NFL has released the 2009 schedule.  Here are the Raiders’ games for ‘09:

Quarterback Jeff Garcia and The Oakland Raiders have agreed on a one-year contract.  Garcia is 39 years old and will be the backup for starting quarterback JaMarcus Russell.

The Raiders will be Jeff Garcia’s sixth NFL team.  He has played for the 49ers, Browns, Lions, Eagles, and Buccaneers.  Garcia has a pass completion percentage of 61.6 and 161 touchdown passes in his NFL career.

The Raiders have signed defensive tackle Ryan Boschetti.  Boschetti was signed as an undrafted free agent out of UCLA by the Redskins in 2004. 

Boschetti is listed at 6′4″ and 289 lbs.  He only played 3 games last year with the Redskins.

The Raiders have also re-signed linebacker and special teams player Sam Williams.  Williams has been with Oakland for 6 years now since he was drafted out of Fresno State.

ESPN.com reported Saturday that the Raiders have signed ex-Jaguar offensive tackle Khaif Barnes to a one-year contract.  The only other outside free agent that the Raiders have signed this year is offensive tackle Erik Pears.

Khalif Barnes is 26 years old and is expected to fill the hole at left tackle and help protect the blindside of JaMarcus Russell.  Head Coach Tom Cable said he likes Barnes because he can start on both sides of the line and has experience in the zone-blocking scheme.

It was reported earlier that Javon Walker was going to be cut from the Raiders, but it turns out that Walker will still be with the Silver and Black.

The Raiders gave Walker the choice of either taking a pay cut or being cut from the team.  Walker’s new restructured contract eliminates a $5 million roster bonus and cuts $22 million off his base salaries through 2013.  He will now be making $16 million over five years, going from a potential $9 million per season down to $3.2 million per season.

Last year Walker had 15 catches and suffered a season-ending ankle injury.  If his mind is in the right place next season then he can definitely add something to the Raiders’ receiving corps.  Most Raiders fans are now wondering if Javon Walker will actually end up being the no. 2 receiver behind a possible big name receiver free agent signing.

The Oakland Raiders are set to release wide receiver Javon Walker only one year into his 6-year, $55 million contract.  Walker appeared in only eight games last season, catching a total of 15 passes.

Walker’s career as a Raider will be remembered more for what he did off of the field rather than on the field.  Last summer in Las Vegas, Walker was robbed and beaten during a bizarre nightclub incident.  Walker also tried to retire before even playing a game with the Raiders, saying that “his heart was no longer into it.”

Now that Javon Walker and Ronald Curry are gone, Raiders fans are optimistic that a talented young receiver like Michael Crabtree or Jeremy Maclin can be drafted in this year’s NFL Draft.  There are also a few big name receivers on the free agent market who would make a great fit playing with JaMarcus Russell.

UPDATE

The Oakland Raiders re-signed pro-bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha today to a record contract for a defensive back:  $45.3 million for three years.

Sources are reporting that the 27-year-old Asomugha will be guaranteed $28.5 million in the deal.  The deal was brokered by agent Tom Condon and Al Davis is said to have had significant involvement.

According to NFL Network’s Adam Schefter, the Raiders are set to release wide receiver Ronald Curry from the team.

The release of Curry will save the Oakland Raiders $2.3 million against the salary cap.  Curry has had many injuries during his career with the Raiders since they selected him in the seventh round of the 2002 draft. 

Curry played in 13 games during the 2008 season and posted a disappointing 19 receptions for 181 yards and two touchdowns.

Fans are optimistic that the Raiders will be able to pick up either Michael Crabtree or Jeremy Maclin in the 2009 NFL draft.

Even though Tuiasosopo was usually a third string quarterback, most Raiders fans often found themselves asking the question, “Who signed this guy and what is he doing here?”

Well the Tuiasosopo era is now over, and ex-Browns quarterback Bruce Gradkowski looks to take his place. The Raiders claimed Gradkowski on waivers this past Tuesday.

Gradkowski started 11 games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during his rookie season in 2006. He completed 54% of his passes for 1,661 yards with 9 touchdowns and 9 interceptions.

Tom Cable will be the head coach of the Oakland Raiders for the 2009 season, according to sources of ESPN.

While ESPN’s sources are saying that Cable is the man, Raiders senior executive John Herrera is denying that the organization has made a decision on who the head coach will be.

Tom Cable posted a record of 4-8 last season as the Raiders’ interim head coach.

The New York Giants and New York Jets, who already share a stadium in the Meadowlands, have joined forces to privately finance what will be the most expensive sports stadium in U.S. history.

Now the NFL is urging the Oakland Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers to share a stadium. The owners of the Giants and Jets have also said that they believe building a new stadium to share would be in the best interests of the two Bay Area football teams.

Formal discussions have not yet begun between the Raiders and 49ers, but the Niners plan to expand their scope for a new stadium.