Grading the Kelechi Osemele trade for New York Jets, Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders have agreed to trade Kelechi Osemele to the New York Jets when the new NFL year begins, but how does each team grade out in this deal?
In case you’re an NFL fan that has been sleeping under a rock on Sunday, March 10, the Oakland Raiders pulled off a blockbuster trade in the wee hours of the morning (or late Saturday night, depending on your location). Jon Gruden and the Raiders landed Antonio Brown in a monster deal to end an ongoing saga. Now, thanks to the New York Jets, the Raiders aren’t done dealing either.
On Sunday afternoon, less than 24 hours after agreeing to the Brown trade, the Raiders have no agreed to send offensive guard Kelechi Osemele to the New York Jets, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. In the trade, Oakland will also send the Jets the No. 198 pick in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft and will move up to the fifth round and the 141st pick in return, per Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune.
As reportedly agreed to, here’s a simplified version of what this trade will look like:
Osemele was once one of the elite guards in the NFL, but has declined in recent years while also struggling to stay on the field. Having said that, there is still hope that he can return to form, which the Jets are clearly banking on here.
Now that the trade is agreed to, though, let’s look at each side of the coin and grade how both the Jets and Raiders came out from this trade.
New York Jets Grade
The Jets offensive line was a certified disaster throughout the majority of the 2018 season, which is why most people circled that as their primary area of concern heading into 2019. After investing the third-overall pick in Sam Darnold last season, they needed to allocate the proper resources to protecting their hopeful franchise quarterback.
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
Though Osemele has battled injuries, will be 30 years old and has seen his play decline in recent years, this is a risk that the Jets would take 100 times out of 100. Not only do they have an abundance of cap space that allows them to absorb the guard’s salary, but this is a low-risk move that could amply address a need for them.
Put simply, the chances of Osemele staying healthy and returning to form as one of the best guards in the NFL are higher than even finding a serviceable player anywhere from pick No. 141 to No. 198. Therefore, trading down that far is fine if it means being able to take a better shot at addressing a huge area of concern.
Final Grade: A+
Oakland Raiders Grade
With the amount of money that the Raiders were set to pay Osemele in the 2019 season — and how much money they have invested in their interior offensive line in general — and considering the holes on their roster that must be addressed, the guard seemed a likely candidate to be cut and hit the open market. And all reports indicate that’s what Oakland was planning on doing had a trade not materialized.
Next. NFL Free Agency: Early predictions for top 10 players. dark
But this trade did ultimately come about and the Raiders snapped up the opportunity. Is it likely that Oakland finds a stud with the 141st overall pick? Not at all. However, the odds are far better that they find a serviceable player with that selection than they would at No. 198. Thus, being able to move up over 50 spots as opposed to getting nothing in return for releasing Osemele is a definite win for Jon Gruden’s team.
Final Grade: A