When strong safety Donovin Darius was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars on June 14, no one was more surprised than the nine-year veteran. Darius, 31, has been rehabbing a broken ankle, which kept him out of 10 games and out of spring workouts.
Darius noted that he understood business but was startled in the manner that he was released. The strong safety had two-years left on his contract and the Jags informed him that they had decided to go with younger players. Darius was supposed to receive $3.5 million in 2007 and $4 million in 2008.
The move made Darius a free agent. The player had been making progress in his rehab and appeared to be on schedule. In nine years with the Jags, he played in 115 games, notching 613 tackles with 510 solos. In that time, he grabbed 14 interceptions for 189 yards.
The news today is that various teams are considering signing Darius, including the Buccaneers, Panthers, Bills and Raiders. The Raiders seem to be trying the hardest to sign him, according to ESPN.com. Darius has a connection with first-year Oakland coach Lane Kiffin. Kiffin had been a quality control assistant with the Jags and worked with the team’s secondary in 2000.
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