Raiders | Fonoti agrees to terms

**ultravikingfan** · 03-14-2006, 11:08 PM

Sorry, this was Prophets post....got messed up. Here it is.

Raiders | Fonoti agrees to terms
Tue, 14 Mar 2006 13:21:57 -0800

ESPN.com's John Clayton reports the Oakland Raiders have agreed to a one-year, $1 million deal with free agent OL Toniu Fonoti (Vikings). Included in the deal is a signing bonus of around $400,000.

**purplegang** · 03-14-2006, 11:14 PM

i thought this guy was a decent player, I know he had weight issues, but he was a brick house. stick him on the line plug a hole

**COJOMAY** · 03-14-2006, 11:24 PM

I hate to see him go! I thought he could be something if he got serious about his weight issue and really tried to learn. He could still be a monster for Oakland.

**aceclown** · 03-14-2006, 11:26 PM

That sucks, 1.4 mil total for a young proven guy with a lot of promise who said he likes the Vikes. Meanwhile we are out paying 5 mil a year to a LB who hasnt really shown anything, sweet offseason. If not for the Hutch signing this offseason would be a total disaster.

**canadian_vikes_fan** · 03-14-2006, 11:30 PM

I am very disappointed that we couldn't resign him - especially at that price. Considering how little that actually is compared to most starting O-lineman, and considering what he could potentially do with us, I can't understand how the front office could let him walk for that kind of dough.

Fonoti would've been a great addition to our O-line and he wanted to play for the Vikings. Well, considering that Childress and company know a lot more about football than me, I sure hope they know what they're doing.

Prophet · 03-14-2006, 11:33 PM

I was reading an article earlier today where Fonoti said he only wanted a one-year deal because he wants to battle it out as a FA next year. That must mean he is dedicated to getting into shape and tearing up the field.

**VikesfaninWis** · 03-14-2006, 11:34 PM

I have no idea why at that price the Vikings didn't resign this guy. He is huge, a veteran, and would no soubt help our O-Line. We may be doing some stuff in FA, but not all of it is good..

**seaniemck7** · 03-14-2006, 11:36 PM

aceclown wrote:

You better stick to your word 2 years from now when Fonoti is earning pro-bowl honors.

This is what I foresee happening with Fonoti: he signs a one year deal with the Raiders, gets motivated for a big contract and gets to a respectable playing weight, does well, gets a multi-year deal, then blows up to 400+lbs again.

He won't be a Pro Bowler in 2 years.

I posted this in the other Fonoti thread earlier. I will refer to this in two years when he gets cut from the Raiders.

Del Rio · 03-14-2006, 11:39 PM

Bye Bye Jabba.

Sorry Tice put you in too early last year and you sucked major ass and got hurt. It was Mike Tice though so you should have known better.

Good luck in the future, I wont loose sleep over the loss.

**canadian_vikes_fan** · 03-14-2006, 11:42 PM

"Prophet" wrote:

I was reading an article earlier today where Fonoti said he only wanted a one-year deal because he wants to battle it out as a FA next year. That must mean he is dedicated to getting into shape and tearing up the field.

Yeah, this makes a lot of sense. Nobody wants to go into free agency after a year in which they played 3 (?) snaps. He would like a one-year deal, prove to everybody that he is really a solid player, and then get a monster deal.

That's why I figured we'd be able to get him back. We'd get a player really cheap, while he'd get a chance to prove himself in a place where he's at least somewhat comfortable.

Why Childress didn't resign him for $1 million is beyond me.