NFL free agency is underway, and it has been a busy 24 hours in the league as many of the top free agents have already inked contracts with new teams.
The Oakland Raiders have not been as busy as some other teams though, as they have been patient in their pursuit of free agents.
Whether or not it pays off for them and general manager Reggie McKenzie remains to be seen, but so far they have lost defensive tackle Stacy McGee and linebacker Malcolm Smith in free agency, among others.
The team hoped to re-sign offensive tackle Menelik Watson as there appeared to be mutual interest between the two sides, but that is not going to happen as Watson has decided to sign a contract with the Denver Broncos, via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network:
The #Broncos are signing former #Raiders OT Menelik Watson, source said.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 10, 2017
Watson’s deal is three years worth $18.3 million according to Rapoport:
The #Broncos signed #Raiders OT Menelik Watson to a 3-year deal worth $18.3M, source said.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 10, 2017
Watson was a second round pick of the Raiders in 2013 and has played all three of his NFL seasons in Oakland. Injuries have been a concern for him in his career as he has never played more than 12 games in a season and he missed the entire 2015 season with a torn achilles that he suffered in the preseason. In 2016 he played in 10 games, starting five of them.
It is unclear how the Raiders plan to replace Watson, whether it be internally, on the free agent market or through the draft.
