Report: Raiders center Satele tendered

March 7, 2011GUTIERREZ ARCHIVERAIDERS PAGERAIDERSVIDEOPaulGutierrez
CSNCalifornia.com

Another day, another report of a Raiders player being tendered before Thursdays deadline. And another wall of silence from Alameda.This time, its center Samson Satele who has been tendered, reported by the Oakland Tribune. It is thought to be an original-round tender because he was a second-round draft pick.With Satele a fourth-year player and rumors abounding that a new Collective Bargaining Agreement would start unrestricted free agency at four years, it appears as though the Raiders are merely doing what team senior executive John Herrera said late last week.Were doing things, he said on Friday, to protect our franchise.Theyre just not announcing much of anything.Satele, drafted out of Hawaii by Miami in 2007, was acquired by the Raiders in a trade in 2009. He seemingly struggled in former coach Tom Cables zone system and lost his job this training camp to rookie Jared Veldheer for the season opener.But Satele responded and finished strong, especially when the Raiders started using a more power-running scheme. But with new coach Hue Jacksons declaration to use the power exclusively this season, it appeared as though Satele, at 6-feet-3, 300 pounds, is a tad undersized for it.The tender to Satele, then, protects an offensive line in need of a reboot, what with left guard Robert Gallery announcing his intentions to leave and Veldheer and right guard Cooper Carlisle (again, another zone-blocking specialist) the only other starter still under contract. That is, if the tenders are even recognized in a new CBA.