Although the Oakland Raiders have managed to add some serious star power to their roster this offseason, it seems Pro Bowl offensive guard Kelechi Osemele is headed to the New York Jets.
The Raiders have been busy trying to add all the help they can get in free agency. It is no secret that the team has undergone some substantial changes over the last year and that appears to be the case this offseason as well.
Osemele experienced a bit of a down year in 2018 due to injury and there were even rumors about him potentially being dealt before the trade deadline. It appears the Raiders have finally decided to follow through on that notion.
According to ESPN’s Josina Anderson and Adam Schefter,Oakland has agreed to trade Osemele and a sixth-round pick to New York in exchange for a fifth-rounder:
The New York Jets want to upgrade their offensive line, and they got an early start Sunday by agreeing in principle to acquire left guard Kelechi Osemele in a trade with the Oakland Raiders.
The Raiders made quite the investment when they signed Osemele to a five-year, $60 million deal prior to the 2016 campaign. He provided plenty of bang for their buck after being selected to two straight Pro Bowls in the following years
Unfortunately, the 29-year-old suffered a bit of a setback last season due to knee and toe injuries. His poor play was perhaps magnified by the fact that Derek Carr was sacked 51 times and it was not long before Oakland considered making even more changes to their roster.
Despite the down year, Osemele is still a solid addition for the Jets as they attempt to surround Sam Darnold with as much help as possible. If he can get healthy and return to Pro Bowl form, he may be yet another former Raider that was traded in his prime.