Oakland Raiders: Take Kelechi Osemele’s name off potential cuts list

Oakland Raiders guard Kelechi Osemele has emerged a cut candidate this offseason, but it’s wishful thinking for teams in need of offensive line help.

During the offseason, we hear rumors and come across narratives that hold little weight, but big names are often swept up in speculation. Oakland Raiders guard Kelechi Osemele has emerged as a popular cut candidate. Is it a realistic scenario?

Other clubs would love to see Osemele hit the open market. He’s an All-Pro guard, who can shift to the perimeter if needed. The 29-year-old spent his entire rookie term at right tackle before moving inside where he excelled on the professional level. The seventh-year offensive lineman has lined up at left tackle for 323 snaps, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

In 2018, Osemele battled a knee injury, which forced him to miss five games, and the ailment certainly affected his performance.

According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he allowed three sacks—the most since his rookie term at right tackle. Though we can argue, only center Rodney Hudson fared well under offensive line coach Tom Cable’s tutelage, but that’s another discussion for a later date.

The veteran guard carries the team’s second-biggest cap hit at $10.2 million for the 2019 season. When you combine a subpar campaign with a costly contract, the speculation raises to a high volume:

Let’s pump the brakes on an offseason cut list that includes a player who became a Pro Bowler and All-Pro in a Raiders uniform after spending four years with the Baltimore Ravens.

Instead of tapping into the gossip and guesswork, let’s take a look at some quotes coming from individuals connected to the decision-makers. David Carr, brother of Derek, talked about the team’s plan to build around a core group of offensive linemen during an NFL Network segment (h/t NBCS Bay Area’s Marcus White):

"There [are] some interior offensive linemen there that are going to be there and Jon has made it clear to Derek … they’re gonna build around those guys and make something happen."

David’s perception coincides with San Jose Mercury News reporter Matt Schneidman’s takeaway from an interview with general manager Mike Mayock:

"He’s a big fan of left guard Kelechi Osemele, center Rodney Hudson and right guard Gabe Jackson. He’s a big believer in building from the inside out, and thinks the Raiders have the players on their interior offensive line to do that."

These quotes don’t suggest Osemele is off limits, but according to those plugged into the Raiders organization, he seems more like a premium player who’s in the team’s future plans rather than a potential roster cut.

Osemele lists at 330 pounds on the Raiders’ official website. As of Feb. 12, the talented guard tipped the scale at 297 pounds; he’s in great shape, according to his tweet:

Many wonder how can a 297-pound guard hold his ground against 300-plus pound interior linemen. When a player gains weight, it doesn’t necessarily mean he lost speed. In an analogous reference, losing weight isn’t automatically correlated to a decline in strength.

Perhaps Osemele dropped excessive weight and manages to return to Pro-Bowl form 30-plus pounds lighter, but we can’t assume he’ll be pushed around at his current size.

There’s talk about Jon Feliciano as a starter, but he’s never played more than 230 snaps in a season. Is it logical to cut a proven player for the unknown going into Carr’s most crucial season with some questions concerning his future with the team? In a short response, no.

Take a moment to realize why other teams would covet Osemele if he landed on the open market. Despite an underwhelming 2018 term, he’s still one of the top players at his position in an overall scope. It’s more likely the 29-year old redeems himself rather than takes another step backward.

The Raiders can release him without any open dead cash owed on his contract, which runs through the 2020 campaign. They’re not stuck with a big contract if Osemele underperforms when the players put on pads again. At the very least, he’s going to have an opportunity to show the 2018 term was an aberration and not a sign of decline.

The Raiders don’t have a desperate need to recoup money for their roster payroll. Oakland isn’t strapped for cash; the front office has $69.8 million to spend, allowing them the option to take a wait-and-see approach on Osemele’s potential bounce-back season.

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