Report: Jets agree to trade for Raiders OL Kelechi Osemele

The New York Jets have formally agreed to a trade for Oakland Raiders offensive guard Kelechi Osemele effective at the start of the new league year.

While free agency is just days away, the New York Jets have wasted no time already making a big-time offseason splash agreeing to trade for Oakland Raiders offensive guard Kelechi Osemele. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Jets will reportedly send a fifth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft in exchange for Osemele and a sixth-round selection in this year’s draft.

The Jets were expected to be major players in the offensive line market during free agency as they were in search of help at one of their weakest units in 2018. But it doesn’t appear as though they were willing to wait until free agency to make a move.

Osemele is a two-time Pro Bowler who has earned a reputation as one of the better offensive guards in the league. The Iowa State product originally entered the league as a second-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2012.

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After four seasons in Baltimore, Oseleme hit the open market and was eventually signed to a massive 5-year, $60 million contract by the Raiders, although the Jets coincidentally showed interest as well. Osemele would go on to make back-to-back Pro Bowls with the Raiders in 2016 and 2017, even being named a First-Team All-Pro in 2016.

However, Osemele’s play slipped a bit in 2018 as he earned his lowest Pro Football Focus grade to date trudging through an injury-riddled season. The soon-to-be 29-year-old was reportedly being shopped around by the Raiders who were looking to move on from his large cap hit as the team undergoes an extensive rebuild.

Still, Osemele is one of the better guards in the league when healthy and immediately steps in as the Jets best offensive lineman on the roster. He has a successful pedigree not seen by the team since longtime great Nick Mangold‘s retirement and should do wonders for the Jets offense in 2019.

Osemele is due to make a little over $20 million over the next two seasons which is a significant cap hit but will be well worth it if he plays at the level he has in the past. While this move won’t preclude the Jets from making another high-profile splash in free agency, it at least gives the Jets some assurance that they would not have previously had going into the free agent period.

At the end of the day, Osemele is the highest profile offensive lineman the Jets have had in years and it’s hard to argue with the compensation given up. In fact, you could argue that Osemele is as appealing as any offensive line target on the market and his contract would likely be cheaper than the likes of Rodger Saffold and/or Matt Paradis.

Ultimately a great move for the Jets and a fantastic way to start the offseason.