Without a doubt, Nnamdi Asomugha is the best player on the Oakland Raiders. It's not even close really. So it comes as a huge surprise that Asomugha finds himself no longer a member of the Raiders today. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Asomugha's contract has been voided, and he will be free to pursue other opportunities for teams that need a lockdown corner (San Francisco 49ers fans? I hear your screaming.).
When you realize why exactly Asomugha has been set free from Oakland, you'll have to give credit to his agent for negotiating such a favorable contract. Asomugha's contract would be voided if didn't manage to get more sacks, interceptions, and fumble recoveries than previous years. He reached the triple-zero in each category. He also played less games than last year (14 compared to 16), thus voiding his contract.
The funny thing is that Asomugha is probably just as good as he was last season despite this lack of production. Why? BECAUSE NO ONE THROWS TO HIM because he's such a great cornerback, making it impossible to achieve any of those incentives. Big ups to Asomugha's agent for taking advantage of tangible but ultimately irrelevant stats.
Don't expect Asomugha to leave Oakland so easily--his connections in the Bay Area run deep, and he's arguably the face of the franchise. The departure of Tom Cable might not sit so well with him though (he didn't believe Cable's departure should have been an issue), and he might have finally tired of Al Davis's eccentric ownership. It'll be one more big story in an offseason full of them.
Here's more from Schefter.