Wilson To Be Released By Denver; Carlisle To Raiders

Denver Bronocs linebacker Al Wilson scheduled a press conference today to announce that he is being released by Denver and will become and unrestricted free agent.

Wilson was the number one pick for Denver in the 1999 NFL Draft and quickly emerged as the defensive leader of the club.

Wilson leaves the Broncos as a four-time Pro Bowl player and one of the top defenders in franchise history.

Last month, the Broncos tried to trade him to the New York Giants for a third-round choice. That trade didn't happen because he failed a physical. He had back problems last year along with a thumb injury. Wilson's rights returned to the Broncos, who were, at the time, seemingly willing to keep him on the roster.

With a $5.2 million salary and a $600,000 roster bonus, Wilson didn't fit into the Broncos salary cap after a busy offseason. His release will save the Broncos $1.63 million.

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In other NFL news, unrestricted free agent Cooper Carlisle, one of the few starting-caliber offensive linemen still available in the veteran unrestricted free agent talent pool, has reached a contract agreement with the Oakland Raiders.

Carlisle, 29, played the first seven years of his career with the Denver Broncos. The Raiders saw the chance to get a quality player from a division rival as a bit of a coup. Carlisle will sign a two-year contract, the financial details of which were not yet available.

With 38 career starts, including 16 starts at right guard in each of the last two seasons, Carlisle figures to quickly challenge for a job in the Oakland lineup. The Raiders are revamping their offensive line after surrendering a league-worst 72 sacks in 2006, and are transitioning to a zone-blocking scheme under first-year head coach Lane Kiffin.

For his entire Denver tenure, Carlisle played in the zone-blocking scheme, which calls for smaller, quicker offensive linemen. His familiarity with the blocking system system should give Carlisle an edge in competing for a starting job and should help speed implementation of the new style in Oakland.