Hall of Fame DE Seymour Treasured His Time With the Raiders

Defensive end Richard Seymour of the New England Patriots was on his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, but he made a stop along the way.

The 6-6, 317-pound Seymour spent his last four NFL seasons with the Oakland Raiders.

“(Oakland) is a great place to play,’’ said Seymour, who won three Super Bowl rings with the Patriots. “The fans are unlike any others in the league. They’re definitely committed, and they want the same type of players to play in this organization. The history of being here, the mystique of putting that Silver and Black on and representing the Raiders, it’s been a lifelong dream for me.

“It was an honor to go out and play for a legendary owner like Al Davis and a legendary franchise. Al was a great leader and I learned so much from him. His attention to detail and his will to win. ... I valued my time there and I enjoyed sharing my wisdom and experiences with the players there.”

However, when the Patriots traded him to the Raiders for a first-round draft choice 2009, Seymour was unhappy about having to leave the team he been with for the first nine seasons of his NFL career, and he did not report to the Silver and Black for several days.

The NFL sent Seymour a letter saying that if he did not report to the Raiders, he could not play for any team until the end of his 2010 contract and he was placed on the Patriots’ exempt/left squad list.

So Seymour reported to the Raiders on Sept. 12, and they were glad that he did.

In his first game with the Silver and Black two days later, he recorded six tackles including two sacks of quarterback Philip Rivers and five quarterback hits, even though the San Diego Chargers beat the Raiders, 24-20, at the Oakland Coliseum.

Seymour started all 16 games for the Raiders that season at the age of 30 and recorded 47 total tackles, 12 quarterback hits, four sacks, three passes defensed, eight tackles for losses and a forced fumble.

On February 24, 2010, the Raiders gave Seymour the franchise tag and they tried to negotiate a long-term contract, but Seymour opted to sign a one-year deal worth $12.4 million, but still played three more seasons with the Silver and Black.

In his four seasons with the Raiders, Seymour made 139 tackles, including 27 for losses, made 42 quarterback hits and 19 sacks while collecting six fumble recoveries including one that he returned for a touchdown, as he teamed with fellow defensive tackle Tommy Kelly in the middle.

“You may not think it was a good trade (for Seymour), but I thought it was a great trade,” Raiders owner Davis said. “Still do. We have a defense, that if we can keep them together, that’s coming of age. A tough group. They beat people up, and I don’t mean that negatively, but they’re tough. Seymour leads the pack with Kelly.”

Seymour, a three-time All-Pro selection, made 496 tackles, 57.5 sacks, 91 tackles for losses, eight fumble recoveries and 79 quarterback hits in his 12 NFL seasons.

In 2011, Seymour agreed to a two-year, $30-million contract extension with the Raiders, making him the highest paid defensive player in the NFL. On opening day of that season, he recorded the first two of his six sacks that season on his way to being selected to the Pro Bowl for the seventh time in his career.

Seymour also was chosen to the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team and when he got to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022, everybody figured it was for the eight seasons he spent with the Patriots.

However, when asked, Seymour said: “As the mantra goes, once a Raider, always a Raider.”

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The NFL Scouting Combine is scheduled for Feb. 28-March 6, 2023, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. On March 7, 2023, before 4 p.m. EST, is the club's deadline to designate Franchise or Transition Players.

March 13-15 is the free agent negotiation period. From 12 p.m. EST on March 13 and ending at 3:59:59 p.m. EST on March 15, clubs are permitted to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents upon the expiration of their 2022 Player Contracts at 4 p.m. EST on March 15.

The 2023 NFL Year and Free Agency period begins at 4 p.m. EST on March 15. The Raiders are expected to be significant players in the free-agent market this season.

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