The Raiders are nearing the point where it’s time to take a drastic step in an attempt to persuade defensive lineman Richard Seymour to honor the trade that sent him to the Raiders from the New England Patriots on Sunday.

Seymour has had almost five days to make his way from Massachusetts to Oakland since he was traded for a 2011 first-round draft pick.
His failure to make the five-hour flight and subsequent five-minute cab ride during that time suggests it’s more than a lingering issue with the Patriots that is keeping him from reporting.
Seymour missed practice Thursday night, making it four missed practices, including the day of the trade, since he learned his eight-year run with the Patriots ended one week before the regular season started.
Cable said he has spoken with Seymour since their initial conversation Monday and that Seymour hasn’t wavered in his assertion that he wants to play for the Raiders.
“It has been nothing more than just trying to get some of these details worked out,” coach Tom Cable said, without addressing the details. “That’s it.”
In the interim, Cable said, the Raiders received a roster exemption from the league because of Seymour’s tardiness in reporting. They re-signed defensive tackle William Joseph to fill the vacancy on the 53-man roster.
Joseph’s re-signing, as well as Cable’s declaring Trevor Scott the starter for Monday night’s regular-season opener, points to the Raiders not counting upon Seymour to play the first game.
A person close to Seymour said Seymour is awaiting word from the Raiders on when he has to be in town, in uniform and on the practice field.
That places the onus upon the Raiders to follow the protocol set forth in the collective bargaining agreement, which gives them the right to send Seymour a formal letter instructing him that he has five days to report for duty and take a physical.
Cable said he has no knowledge of the Raiders sending a letter or intending to send one.
If Seymour fails to comply with the terms outlined in the letter, the Raiders then would have the option of placing him on the reserve/failed to report list. Taking such an extreme measure would make Seymour ineligible to play for the Raiders or any other team this season.
Naturally, that’s the last thing the Raiders and Seymour want to happen. The Raiders would be without the services of a five-time Pro Bowler they counted on to start at right defensive end. Seymour’s contract would be frozen until after the season ends.
Therefore, Seymour still would have the one year remaining on his contract that he is playing under right now, and he wouldn’t be able to hit the free-agent market in 2010. The Raiders would retain his rights for 2010 at his current salary of $3.685 million.
The league approved the trade hours after it was announced by the Raiders and Patriots. The only obstacle is Seymour’s requirement to pass a Raiders-administered physical.
“It’s between him and Oakland,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick told WEEI Radio in Boston on Thursday.
For now, perhaps. A league spokesman said Tuesday that it’s up to the Raiders and Patriots to work out. In the long run, it’s possible that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will be asked to intervene and sort out the mess.
A polling of numerous players in the locker room revealed that none has attempted to reach out to Seymour, either because they don’t know him well enough or they believe it’s not their place to meddle in his affairs.
“At this point, there’s nothing that we can do about it,” defensive end Jay Richardson said. “That’s between him, his people and our people. They better get it resolved.”
Defensive tackle Tommy Kelly said it’s at the critical stage right now if there’s any hope for Seymour playing against the Chargers.
“Oh, (heck) no,” Kelly said, when asked if Seymour could play Monday without any practice time. “He wouldn’t know the defense. If you put him on the field and call a blitz, he’d be unsure what to do. Right now, it doesn’t look like he’s going to get here in time.”
Notes: Cable announced Darren McFadden as the starting running back for the Chargers game. McFadden beat out incumbent Justin Fargas and third-year player Michael Bush for the honor. McFadden was the No. 4 pick in the NFL draft last year. “It doesn’t matter who starts the game or anything like that,” Fargas said. “The key for us, the strength of our backfield is our depth, and the fact that we all complement each other and keep each other fresh.” ... Rookie Nick Miller (shin) did not finish practice. He is expected to play Monday, Cable said. If so, he will return kicks. ... The Raiders signed wide receiver Paul Hubbard and placed him on their practice squad. He was a sixth-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns in 2008. He didn’t play in any games last year and was released by the Browns in training camp this year.