NAPA — Free agency officially opened Friday for the NFL, and the Oakland Raiders are already 0-for-1. They lost their top free agent in All-Pro cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha to the Philadelphia Eagles, who gave Asomugha a $60 million contract that includes $25 million in guaranteed money.
But the Radiers aren't standing still. They hope to close a deal for offensive tackle Jared Gaither — who was watching the Raiders practice. Coach Hue Jackson said nothing would be finalized until the Raiders are assured Gaither is healthy.
The departure of Asomugha was expected after the Raiders gave a big contract to cornerback Stanford Routt.
"We wish him well, but, as I've always said, it's next man up for us," Jackson said. "We have some very good players here and ... I've got to really concentrate on this football team and try to get this team to be the best that it can be."
Asomugha was Oakland's best player in recent years, consistently locking up one side of the field in a key aspect of the Raiders man-to-man defense. He allowed 52 receptions and one TD the past three seasons, the essence of a "shutdown" corner.
The Raiders gave their other starting CB, Routt, a three-year, $31.5 million deal with $20 million guaranteed in the offseason.
"I know you as the media, you all are going to go ahead and put a media target on my back, but as far as like anything else, it's football," Routt said. "You guard the guy that you're lined up against. It is what it is."
The 6-foot-9, 340-pound Gaither is a proven commodity at tackle, where the Raiders have second-year player Jared Veldheer on the left and rookies competing on the right.
Jackson knows Gaither from his days in Baltimore.
"He's a tremendous player," Jackson said. "When he's healthy, he's one of the better left tackles in the league. He has extremely long arms, very tall, very long. He's a good football player."
• EAGLES — Signing Asomugha was just the latest coup for Philadelphia, which acquired Pro Bowl cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie from Arizona the day before. The Eagles also announced a one-year deal for QB Vince Young, a 2006 first-round pick of Tennessee. Young, who went 30-2 as a starter at Texas in college, will back up starter Michael Vick. The Eagles have three Pro Bowl cornerbacks on their roster: Asomugha, Rodgers-Cromartie and fourt-me Pro Bowler Asante Samuel, who has 42 interceptions in eight years.
• PATRIOTS — Chad Ochocinco was wearing his usual number 85 at practice, a day after being traded by Cincinnati. The former owner of the number was rookie tight end Aaron Hernandez, who hasn't practiced following hip surgery in February.
• PANTHERS — Top draft pick Cam Newton of Auburn signed a deal with the Carolina Panthers, and his agent tweeted the deal was for four years and "$22 million-plus."
