Jared Veldheer refutes Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie

[790thSFS]

General manager Reggie McKenzie insisted Tuesday that Jared Veldheer wasn't brought back to Oakland because the left tackle "didn't want to play for the Raiders anymore."

McKenzie also made it clear that Veldheer's exit to Arizona "wasn't about finances."

In a Wednesday interview with KMVP-FM in Phoenix, Veldheer refuted McKenzie's claims.

"I appreciate everything that Oakland did for me over the last four years," Veldheer said. "We just couldn't get (a contract) done. It wasn't that I didn't want to be there, because I know that's been said recently. That just wasn't the case."

A full month before free agency began, Veldheer was seeking more urgency from the Raiders in contract talks.

Leading up to the deadline from franchise tags, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported there was no communication between the Raiders and Veldheer's camp.

Whereas the Raiders slow-played Veldheer and ultimately low-balled their offer, Veldheer said the Cardinals were "very aggressive" and "made it clear that they wanted me here."

We weren't alone in scratching our heads at McKenzie's approach to Veldheer. Cardinals coach Bruce Arians told reporters Wednesday at the NFL Annual Meeting that he was "shocked" when the Raiders opted against using the franchise tag to retain their best offensive player.

"He's 6-8, 330 pounds and tough as nails," Arians said, via CSN Bay Area. "He's only 26. It's everything you want in a left tackle. It's still hard to believe he was there. We were extremely excited. He brings a tough-guy attitude we want. He's athletic and moves extremely well for a guy that big. We are ecstatic to have him."

Maybe NFL teams get the blindside protectors they deserve.

[bigboy3333]

I don't blame Veldheer at all, I put the blame strictly on Reggie for dragging ASS. Instead of taking care of the two best players that the Raiders had...now Reggie trying to cover his ass bye saying they did not want to play for the Raiders.."BS"

I guess Reggie thought they would play for peanuts..

[SoulPatrol]

Fuck no! Of course Veldheer wanted to stay with the Raiders. Why not? He was familiar with the place, knew he was appreciated by the fans, could've been the starting LT, why go from a known to an unknown unless you're being stiffed. Bottom line is simple, Reggie was trying to low ball him and make him leave. Employers have been doing this to employees since the beginning of time when they don't really want them.

Reggie is a fucking read headed twit!

[Forbiddenraider]

McKenzie makes me want to vomit. I'm so sick of McKenzie I am just going to not pay attention to anymore of his blundering lying bullshit. I hope we lose every game next year. That's hard to say with a Raiders tattoo but I don't care, I want McKenzie gone immediately. I will not post comments or pay attention to the team until he is gone. Done with the baffoon baboon. I'll check back in 7 games in next year when he's fired. FUCK REGGIE

[bigboy3333]

Veldheer disputes McKenzie’s claim he didn’t want to be a Raider
Posted by Darin Gantt on March 26, 2014, 8:40 PM EDT


Raiders General Manager Reggie McKenzie was stung by the decision of left tackle Jared Veldheer to leave in free agency, saying: “The kid didn’t want to play for the Raiders anymore, and I struggled with that.”

Veldheer, as you might imagine, had a different version of events.

“I appreciate everything that Oakland did for me over the last four years, we just couldn’t get [a contract] done,” the now-Cardinals left tackle told Doug and Wolf on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. “It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be there, because I know that’s been said recently. That just wasn’t the case. Things were unable to get done at the table and that led to free agency and now I looking forward to Arizona and looking to what the future has here.”

Veldheer also said things started moving quickly when Cardinals G.M. Steve Keim started the process of pursuing him.

And to be frank, even if the money was equal, it’s hard to argue that being a Raider is a better deal than being a Cardinal in any respect.

The team’s better, the stadium’s nicer, and even though the Cardinals aren’t a model of traditional stability, they’re moving in the right direction at the moment.

So to be honest, it’s hard to figure why Veldheer’s fighting it.

[RF34]

Bob Papa and Ross Tucker just talked about this on SIRIUS. Papa says he got it from someone in the Raiders organization a month before free agency that JVD did indeed want out and his frustration is based on the low ball number he got from Reggie because his agent wanted a better number to use in negotiations with other teams.