Gallery on the list to become a Raider.

The Oakland Raiders have reached agreement in principle with offensive tackle Robert Gallery, the second overall player selected in this year's draft, and the deal could be finalized as early as Wednesday.
Gallery
While complete details were not yet available, sources said the contract is very creative, and that Gallery, who is expected to be the cornerstone of the Raiders' efforts to rebuild an aging offensive line, will receive between $18 million and $19 million in guaranteed money. He becomes just the third player chosen in the top 10 to reach contract terms and, obviously, is the highest-drafted player to strike a deal.
Agent Rick Smith and Raiders personnel director Mike Lombardi began discussions last Tuesday, and substantive negotiations have been ongoing. Several NFL sources have said the two sides have been in basic agreement for days, and have only been fine-tuning what is expected to be a monster deal.
Oakland is set to report to training camp in Napa Valley, Calif., on Thursday. Gallery is just the second of the team's nine choices to reach agreement. But the secretive Raiders probably have deals done that have not yet been reported and figure to have most, if not all of their picks, in camp on time.
Certainly none is more important to the team than Gallery, the former University of Iowa standout regarded as the top tackle prospect of the last several years. Known as much for his strong character as for his football prowess, Gallery had instructed his representatives to make sure that he was under contract for the start of camp.
Smith acknowledged in mid-May, just two weeks after the draft, that he was not inclined to wait for other deals to be completed in the top 10, so that he would have a better idea of how to slot his client. If the contract is indeed worth the amount sources say, Smith need not worry about how the deal will stack up when the rest of the top 10 begins filling in.
"Let's face it, with all the constraints this year, the dollar number is finite," Smith said in May. "If they get to a number we like, and which is fair, then we won't wait. If Robert is going to be the starter, he has to be [in camp] on time, and he knows that."
Gallery is expected to challenge sixth-year veteran Barry Sims for the starting job at left offensive tackle as Oakland seeks to overhaul a line unit that has shown some age over the last two seasons. Gallery, 23, was the Outland Trophy recipient in 2003, was voted unanimously to the All-American and all-Big 10 teams, and also garnered all-academic honors in his conference.
He participated in 3,230 snaps, according to Iowa records, and had 359 knockdown blocks and 41 blocks that resulted in touchdowns.

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