PRO FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : RAIDERS : No. 1 Pick Bates Signs 5-Year Deal

Patrick Bates, the Raiders’ first-round draft choice, signed a five-year contract worth $4,739,500. Under the league’s new rookie salary cap, Bates, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound safety from Texas A&M;, signed a creative deal that is guaranteed the first three years. Bates will earn $400,000 for reporting and a salary of $237,000 his first year and $200,000 for reporting and a salary of $596,000 his second. The third year is for $955,000.

If Bates makes the Pro Bowl within his first three seasons, the Raiders will have to renegotiate the final two years of his contract. If he doesn’t, Bates will earn $1.1 million his fourth season and $1.25 million his fifth.

Bates was to wear No. 42, which was worn last season by former safety Ronnie Lott, but he changed his mind three weeks ago when Eric Dickerson was traded to Atlanta.

“I will wear my college No. 29 and make a name for myself in it,” said Bates, who skipped one week of training camp. “I really wanted to come here and start camp on time, but things didn’t work out that way.”

Coach Art Shell said Bates is not that far behind schedule because he participated in the Raiders’ mini-camp and many of their off-season workouts.

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The Raiders signed former Denver Bronco linebacker Keith Traylor as a free agent. Traylor, from Central State of Oklahoma, played two seasons with the Broncos after being drafted in the third round in 1991.

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The Raiders will practice at Oxnard twice a day until Saturday, when they will have their annual morning scrimmage before having a Family Day at the Oxnard High football stadium. Festivities will begin at 11:15 a.m., with a clinic scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Admission is free.

The team will travel to Austin, Tex., on Sunday and will practice against the Dallas Cowboys before going to Canton, Ohio, to play the Green Bay Packers in the Hall of Fame Game July 31.