Kelechi Osemele trade should be considered a win for the Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders traded away Kelechi Osemele on Sunday, and while his loss will be felt, it was definitely a win for the team moving forward.

The Oakland Raiders are striking the iron while it’s hot with yet another trade. The Silver and Black are trading away starting guard Kelechi Osemele and a sixth round pick to the New York Jets for their fifth round pick.

It had been lightly rumored for a couple weeks that the former Pro Bowl guard could be a cap casualty. Now that Osemele is off the books, the Raiders will save $10.2 million in cap space.

This trade should be viewed as a win for the Raiders brass. They were going to cut Kelechi Osemele regardless and this trade allows them to get something in return. Now, the team has an extra $10.2 million in cap space that they can offer to someone in free agency.

Osemele was coming off his worst season as a member of the Raiders, as injuries played a big role in his decline last season. However, Jon Gruden clearly did not feel comfortable paying him that much money. While the move frees up cap space, his trade may seem like a blow to the offensive line considering how great Osemele was overall with the Raiders.

However, offensive guard is an interchangeable position. Much like the running back position, so long as you find a solid talent you’ll be able to get by. The Raiders can easily draft a cheaper and feasible option at offensive guard.

This trade also means that Gabe Jackson will likely swing back to his natural position at left guard. Hopefully that is what will kick start his return into an adequate lineman.

The Raiders are receiving the Jets’ fifth round pick, so they regain a draft choice in that round. Let’s not forget that they gave up their fifth round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Antonio Brown trade. This trade isn’t extravagant, but giving up a sixth round pick to move back into the fifth is a sound move.

If the Raiders do end up drafting an offensive guard, then pressure will be all on offensive line coach Tom Cable. The offensive line was atrocious last season with or without Osemele.

It’s crucial that he gets his group working cohesively, especially with the two offensive tackles. His 2018 season wasn’t strong, but Kelechi Osemele was a key piece to the Raiders success in 2016. We at Just Blog Baby wish him nothing but the best in New York.