Jets trade with Raiders for G Kelechi Osemele

[LIJetsFan]

by Justin Fried1 hour ago Follow @JustinTFried

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the New York Jets have agreed to a trade for Oakland Raiders offensive guard Kelechi Osemele. Here is a breakdown of the two-time Pro Bowler’s game and contract situation.

The New York Jets made it apparent that a top priority for the team this offseason would be bolstering the offensive line. With the reported acquisition of offensive guard Kelechi Osemele, it’s clear that the Jets didn’t want to wait until free agency to begin the improvement process.

Per a report from Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Jets have agreed to send a 2019 fifth-round draft pick in exchange for Osemele and a sixth-round selection. While the trade will not be made official until the start of the new league year at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, reports indicate that it is, in fact, a done deal.

It’s no secret that the Jets were looking to acquire some new faces along the offensive line and with the release of Spencer Long and the expected departure of James Carpenter, it was clear the Jets would be targeting two positions specifically: left guard and center.

It looks as though they now have their new left guard.

Osemele entered the league as a second-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2012 but it wasn’t until he signed a massive 5-year, $60 million contract with the Raiders ahead of the 2016 season that he truly broke out. Osemele emerged as one of the premier guards in the league earned back-to-back Pro Bowl nods in 2016 and 2017 and even earning First-Team All-Pro honors in 2016.

The Iowa State product became an anchor for one of the best offensive lines in the league playing alongside fellow Pro Bowlers in Donald Penn and Rodney Hudson. However, his play slipped a bit in 2018 as he fought through an injury-riddled season.

Osemele scored the lowest Pro Football Focus grade of his career scoring a lowly 53.7 injury in a season marred by a nagging knee injury. Prior to that, however, Osemele earned stellar grades of 84.9 and 76.1 during the 2016 and 2017 seasons respectively.

If he could remain healthy and return to Pro Bowl form, this trade will wind up being a steal for the Jets. At his best, Osemele is a mauling run blocker who excels in a power run scheme. This is very different from the offensive linemen that the Jets have recently targeted in the past.

In the past few years, the Jets have decided to run a zone blocking scheme which requires offensive lineman to be more versatile and athletic. Typically, teams will look for good pass blocking interior lineman as well as linemen who could pull in this scheme.

Osemele doesn’t exactly fit that mold.

The former Oakland Raider specializes in a power-based offense where he’s asked to beat defenders one-on-one by overpowering them. While his pass blocking has never been a true issue, his run blocking has been the emphasis of his game, something none of the Jets interior linemen have been able to say in recent years.

The Jets have struggled running the football in between the tackles the last few years and much of that has been because of the team’s shift to a zone blocking scheme. With Osemele, the Jets should hopefully be able to run more of a power run scheme and hopefully have more success running inside.

At the same time, Jets fans shouldn’t be expecting a no-doubt All-Pro-caliber player. Osemele struggled mightily at times in 2018 and was ineffective enough for the Raiders to trade him away for very little compensation. Of course, his age and cap figure had a lot to do with that but it remains to be seen if Osemele could rebound after a rough 2018 campaign.

Still, it’s hard to argue that the trade itself isn’t a great move.

Osemele is set to make a little over $20 million over the next two years which is a sizable amount of money. However, none of his remaining salary is guaranteed. That means that the Jets could opt to cut ties with him after 2019 and there will be no cap penalty.

It’s essentially a “get out of jail free card” in case the trade goes south.

The Jets will still have roughly $82 million in cap space which remains the second-highest figure in the league behind only the Indianapolis Colts, per OverTheCap.com. Moreover, it’s likely that the top offensive line targets in free agency — Matt Paradisand Rodger Saffold — would demand higher salaries than what Osemele is earning at the moment.

Regardless, trading for Osemele doesn’t preclude the Jets from adding another offensive lineman in free agency. The Jets will still be in hot pursuit of Paradis and still see Kansas City’s Mitch Morse and the Rams’ John Sullivan as fallback options.

Even if this Osemele trade doesn’t work out, it’s well worth the “gamble” to drop just 57 spots from the fifth-round to the sixth. Osemele isn’t very far removed from being considered one of the best guards in the league and if he could stay healthy and even return slightly to form, the Jets will have gotten a steal ahead of 2019 free agency.

[Philc1]

6 minutes ago, dbatesman said:

 

It was sort of a ball-breaking move. I get that Osemele is the better player, but just for once I’d like to see us draft a guy like this ourselves, you know?  Swapping out aging, overpriced guards for one another isn’t exactly best practices. 

It’s not a program; I just pushed together a couple of screenshots with Photogrid.

We are drafting Josh Allen get over it

[dbatesman]

29 minutes ago, Larz said:

Obviously not the point. 

Have you ever asked yourself that question. 

If you are only here for the self loathing do us all a favor and keep it to yourself mkay? 

Counterpoint: if you’re going to get your bowels in an uproar every time someone points out unflattering but indisputable facts about a Jets player, maybe you should spend less time here and more time at @eallenjets.

[UnitedWhofans]

12 minutes ago, dbatesman said:

Counterpoint: if you’re going to get your bowels in an uproar every time someone points out unflattering but indisputable facts about a Jets player, maybe you should spend less time here and more time at @eallenjets.

I could be strict here diddums

[LIJetsFan]

By  Robby Sabo

Which patchwork New York Jets offensive line acquisition enjoyed a better career prior to arrival, Kelechi Osemele or Ryan Clady? Take a wild guess.

The very instant the New York Jets acquired soon-to-be 30-year-old guard Kelechi Osemele on Sunday afternoon, fandom erupted into ecstasy.

“Steal, beast and bodyguard” are just three of the descriptors traveling around NFL space in relation to the Jets new lineman at the very moment. Oh yeah, “home run” is another consistent term flying around the football landscape.

Walk it back a bit. This one’s eerily similar to the acquisition of Ryan Clady.

It’s not an assassination on Osemele’s future production as a Jet, rather an idea that continues to halt true offensive flourishment: accepting the patchwork veteran rather than committing to an injection of youth up front.

Osemele, 29, represented a First-Team All-Pro stud guard just three years ago. In 2017, he again qualified for the Pro Bowl. Headed into the 2018 campaign, the big-heavy was considered one of the top guards in the NFL.

Then 2018 actually unfolded.

Osemele could muster just 11 games for the Oakland Raiders this past season. Most elated about the recent acquisition—which is a solid move based on the transaction alone—will point to the injuries as an excuse for the unproductive season.

Sorry, folks, injuries are part of the skill set. It matters greatly and what’s awful about slotting Osemele’s name into the starting left guard spot is that he’s always banged up.

Of a possible 112 career games spanning seven seasons, Osemele’s played in 93. That accounts for 19 games missed—a number longtime stud offensive linemen wouldn’t approach over a decade worth of playing time.

The Iowa State product was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens back in 2012. In four seasons near our nation’s capital, he was unimpressive. It was until his Oakland move that had the world put on official notice.

Surrendering a fifth-round selection for Osemele and a sixth is a great deal on paper. There’s no question. The risk is little while the rewarded is handsome. But the risk could be gigantic if the Jets don’t play their cards the right way.

Under no circumstances should Osemele be the bonafide starter. The franchise has to look at this with complete flexibility.

Through 28 total draft picks, Mike Maccagnan has drafted an incredible two offensive linemen, Brandon Shell and Jarvis Harrison, both in the fifth round (2015 and 2016, respectively). Ignoring the injection of youth at the position is such a maddening move that I’m beyond sick and tired of screaming about it.

It’s always, “Next year when the O-line pool is better is when they should strike.” Always is there an excuse.

A year ago, Brian Winters‘s injury and Wesley Johnson‘s horrendous play acted as the built-in excuse to keep fans at bay. The year prior, there was a left tackle whose play acted as a bitter disappointment. Right now, rumors have the Jets not addressing the O-line in the draft while thinking Spencer Long was the sole problem all along.

Speaking of that left tackle who was scapegoated two seasons ago, let’s type his name.

Ryan Clady.

Clady was acquired along with a seventh-round selection from the Denver Broncos in exchange for a fifth-rounder. Yes, extremely similar to the Osemele transaction.

Clady was a four-time Pro Bowler who twice hopped onto the prestigious NFL First-Team All-Pro squad. Clady’s pre-Jets success is doubled that of Osemele’s. And, oh yeah, the same “home run deal” chatter existed as soon as that low-risk, high-reward deal was complete.

It turned out not to be “low risk.” There was no backup plan or injection of youth that could serve as a plan B. Clady turned out as a Florham Park disaster from the jump. The man played in just nine games and was removed shortly after the season.

Oh yeah, Ryan Clady only missed 14 total games of a possible 112 games (spanning seven total seasons, identical to Osemele’s pre-Jets career).

Kelechi Oseleme (2019):

Second-rounder talent in 2012

Two-time Pro Bowler

Two years removed from last Pro Bowl visit

One-time First-Team All-Pro

Age 30 at the start of first Jets season

Acquired with a sixth rounder for a Jets fifth-round selection

Missed 19 games in 112 total games

Ryan Clady (2016):

First-round talent in 2008

Four-time Pro Bowler

Two years removed from last Pro Bowl visit

Two-time First-Team All-Pro

Age 30 at the start of first Jets season

Acquired with a seventh rounder for a Jets fifth-round selection

Missed 14 games in 112 total games

Does anybody out there hear me?

Osemele can absolutely squash the Clady narrative with one monstrous season. It is, of course, the hope. It is, of course, possible.

He just can’t be the only plan at the position.

For four straight years, the New York Jets underwhelming offensive line headed into training camp with five concretely set up starting positions. Never was competition the name of the game (at a position that craves and thrives from it). Should Maccagnan not make sure a third legitimate guard is on the roster as a plan B, the low-risk gamble turns into a high-risk situation.

The deal itself—just like the Clady instance—is a good one. Taking a shot on a decorated monster like this at such a price is spot on. Unfortunately, it fits the patchwork narrative we’ve all witnessed for four straight years.

Never have we witnessed a Mike Maccagnan commitment to the offensive line during the NFL Draft (even though the top teams deploy O-lines with young, highly-drafted nuclei).

The rumor is Matt Paradis and Mitch Morse are high on New York’s free-agent wish list to secure the center position. That works. That’s fine. But if that acquisition is the end of the line this offseason, Mike Maccagnan will have done it again. He will have gone through an entire offseason neglecting the true formula to offensive line success while attempting to patch it up through veteran snags.

Kelvin Beachum and Brandon Shell as a tackle combo is not good enough to lead any potent NFL offense. In fact, Beachum remaining on the roster without a legit tackle pushing him from behind is way too dangerous at his age. Shell and Brian Winters as the two homegrown talent is not nearly close enough to a legit nucleus. Osemele without somebody pushing him from behind is not a low-risk plan.

LT: Kelvin Beachum, 30

LG: Kelechi Osemele, 30

? Matt Paradis, 29 (30 in October)

RG: Brian Winters, 28

RT: Brandon Shell, 27

The above starting five is not the answer. If this is what see come July, there better be premium O-line talent chosen in the draft to heat up the competition.

Kelechi Osemele, despite the distinct Ryan Clady match, is fine as a singular move. But if the New York Jets don’t attack the left tackle area early in the draft while poking for an interior guy in the mid-rounds, the “next year” routine will instantly haunt Jets fandom for the fourth-straight season.

To do that to Sam Darnold, the face of the organization, is nothing short of high-football treason.

[T0mShane]

27 minutes ago, LIJetsFan said:

Osemele is a mauling run blocker who excels in a power run scheme. This is very different from the offensive linemen that the Jets have recently targeted in the past.

In the past few years, the Jets have decided to run a zone blocking scheme which requires offensive lineman to be more versatile and athletic. T

This is..........not true 

[Creepy Lurker]

4 hours ago, BornJetsFan1983 said:

We can still get Sanford right?

[T0mShane]

1 hour ago, Larz said:

Obviously not the point. 

Have you ever asked yourself that question. 

If you are only here for the self loathing do us all a favor and keep it to yourself mkay? 

I thought you kept all the “haters” muted, Larz? What happs, bb? 

[jamesr]

13 hours ago, Creepy Lurker said:

I forget how the comp pick calculation works in regards to contract values. If we let 20 scrubs go and only sign 10 FA, all things aren’t necessarily equal when calculating whether we get picks or not. Big contracts are weighted differently etc. 

I don’t see anyway that we get picks with how active we have to be but I’ll admit I’ve ignored this possibility just because I didn’t think it was realistic. It’d be interesting to know if we can somehow end up with picks. 

In the long run I doubt it'll make any difference in this specific case, but it's a good mindset to adopt as an organisation.

The usual verbiage I see about the comp picks is teams that lose "more or better" free agents than they acquire get the picks. We may be losing quite a few FAs but none that'll likely get much of a deal elsewhere (if they even get picked up at all). I believe there's also a window for this, so guys who sign nearer to TC don't affect the formula.

[UnitedWhofans]

4 minutes ago, Creepy Lurker said:

OH IT'S THE BIG ONE!

[JetFaninMI]

1 hour ago, Bruce Harper said:

This isn’t at all what people are saying but it is how you seem to interpret any post about Macc that isn’t negative.


Sent from my iPhone using JetNation.com mobile app

Its there. You just have to look. It really doesn't matter anyway because Macc's butt is on the line this off-season. If he screws it up he is gone. IMO he should have went with Bowles and they should have started fresh.

[T0mShane]

40 minutes ago, dbatesman said:

 

It was sort of a ball-breaking move. I get that Osemele is the better player, but just for once I’d like to see us draft a guy like this ourselves, you know?  Swapping out aging, overpriced guards for one another isn’t exactly best practices. 

It’s not a program; I just pushed together a couple of screenshots with Photogrid.

The nicest thing you could say about this deal is that it’s the best the Jets could have done. The Jets pick up a high-priced salary dump, but at least he’s not 36 years old and there’s a non-negligible chance the player isn’t in outright decline. 

Bonus: the same people who throw PFF scores around to defend Adams getting whiplash in this thread transforming into PFF Truthers

[Integrity28]

If this acquisition hold to the same standard as all other Mac trades/FA, then he’ll be gone in 18 months at best, at worst he’ll be an overpriced backup who loses his job to Jonathan Whatever.

[Creepy Lurker]

9 minutes ago, jamesr said:

In the long run I doubt it'll make any difference in this specific case, but it's a good mindset to adopt as an organisation.

The usual verbiage I see about the comp picks is teams that lose "more or better" free agents than they acquire get the picks. We may be losing quite a few FAs but none that'll likely get much of a deal elsewhere (if they even get picked up at all). I believe there's also a window for this, so guys who sign nearer to TC don't affect the formula.

It’s the way we should do things. I just wrote off 2019 because of how many holes we have without analyzing the formula more and taking into account that we have a ton of our own FAs. 

[dbatesman]

8 minutes ago, Integrity28 said:

If this acquisition hold to the same standard as all other Mac trades/FA, then he’ll be gone in 18 months at best, at worst he’ll be an overpriced backup who loses his job to Jonathan Whatever.

It’s spelled “Johnnnathaonn.”

[Miss Lonelyhearts]

27 minutes ago, Integrity28 said:

If this acquisition hold to the same standard as all other Mac trades/FA, then he’ll be gone in 18 months at best, at worst he’ll be an overpriced backup who loses his job to Jonathan Whatever.

yeah and then all you SOJF who just want to be right on the internet will conveniently forget to give Maccagnan credit for keeping the sh*tty contracts short for when we start the rebuild

[The Crusher]

9 minutes ago, Miss Lonelyhearts said:

yeah and then all you SOJF who just want to be right on the internet will conveniently forget to give Maccagnan credit for keeping the sh*tty contracts short for when we start the rebuild

That’s what happens when you don’t check expiration dates. 

[Jetmech]

If he gets released their is no guarantee he signs with the Jets so I guess it was a good trade?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ZachEY]

1 hour ago, dbatesman said:

Counterpoint: if you’re going to get your bowels in an uproar every time someone points out unflattering but indisputable facts about a Jets player, maybe you should spend less time here and more time at @eallenjets.

so wait do facts care about your feelings or no?

[dbatesman]

11 minutes ago, TeddEY said:

so wait do facts care about your feelings or no?

Yes, but only mine

[Scott Dierking]

Welp, this thread turned into the usual.

[Jetsfan80]

16 hours ago, Jet9 said:

The silence from the Snark Brigade is deafening. 

I've been among the most critical of Mike Maccagnan of late (though I was late to that party too).  But this was a very nice move.  Credit where its due.  There's zero to knock about this. 

[Jetsfan80]

15 hours ago, GREENBEAN said:

This is why I like you.  You are rare in your ability to admit when something is good even though it goes against your overall point of view. I try to be the same way.  ( I saw your earlier post praising the deal) At least you're rooting for the team to do well even though you're the Grinch sometimes. ?  

That's the thing:  We're all loyal to the uniform to a fault around here.  We're not loyal to Mike f**king Maccagnan.  That's a big difference.  We all want him to do a good job, but when he doesn't, why shouldn't he get ripped? 

Today is not that day, however.  I'm happy he FINALLY did something where it appears he out-smarted the rest of the league. 

[Jetsfan80]

15 hours ago, playtowinthegame said:

Jets trade a 5th round pick for Kelechi Osemele + Raiders 6th rd pick. 

Jets fans: Awesome deal! Great move Mac!

Raiders trade 3rd and 5th round pick for the league's best receiver, Antonio Brown.

Jets fans: see he ain't all that. He's a head case. Besides we got so many holes. 

The financials are an important piece to this.

The Raiders not only moved draft capital for Brown, they handed him a MASSIVE new contract with a ton of guaranteed money.

We're getting Osemele at a discount. 

I'm also not supportive of handing our 22-year old QB a potential lunatic diva at WR.  That was a secondary aspect that can't be ignored.  All reports suggest Osemele is a solid citizen.

[Jetsfan80]

15 hours ago, RutgersJetFan said:

Pretty low risk maneuver given everything and the Jets cap space, but if the guy is so dominant one has to wonder why the Raiders let him go for so little.

A few reasons, I would guess:

• The Brown trade, which used up a lot of cap space
• They've moved to a Zone Blocking scheme, which Osemele doesn't fit
• They already had a lot of money invested in interior OL (Rodney Hudson and Gabe Jackson)
• They wanted to get younger (Osemele turns 30 in June)
• He did have a bad 2018 season, likely due to injury

4/5 of those suggest he hasn't "lost it".  He might not be a top 5 G anymore but this is one of those deals that could end up being a good decision for both teams.

[Jetsfan80]

14 hours ago, CanadienJetsFan said:

Good for the Jets, but when you take a step back and think about it, I bet Osemele was hoping that he’d get released seeing that there’s zero guaranteed money left in his contract. 

If he looks like the  pro bowler he once was, maybe an extension might be forthcoming?

Good thing for us, for sure.  Osemele will enter this season hungry if we don't extend him. 

[kmnj]

raiders had one of the worst lines in football and they did not think this guy was worth keeping-injuries were an issue as well(as is money) but none the less the warning signs are all over on this guy

 

 

[Scott Dierking]

Just now, kmnj said:

raiders had one of the worst lines in football and they did not think this guy was worth keeping-injuries were an issue as well(as is money) but none the less the warning signs are all over on this guy

 

 

I guess it is a good thing that the guaranteed money is absolutely ZERO

[IndianaJet]

8 minutes ago, Jetsfan80 said:

A few reasons, I would guess:

• The Brown trade, which used up a lot of cap space
• They've moved to a Zone Blocking scheme, which Osemele doesn't fit
• They already had a lot of money invested in interior OL (Rodney Hudson and Gabe Jackson)
• They wanted to get younger (Osemele turns 30 in June)
• He did have a bad 2018 season, likely due to injury

4/5 of those suggest he hasn't "lost it".  He might not be a top 5 G anymore but this is one of those deals that could end up being a good decision for both teams.

Well...our new O-line coach, Frank Pollack, uses a zone blocking scheme too.

Perhaps they think the new "svelte" Osemele can make that transition.   

[playtowinthegame]

38 minutes ago, Jetsfan80 said:

The financials are an important piece to this.

The Raiders not only moved draft capital for Brown, they handed him a MASSIVE new contract with a ton of guaranteed money.

We're getting Osemele at a discount. 

I'm also not supportive of handing our 22-year old QB a potential lunatic diva at WR.  That was a secondary aspect that can't be ignored.  All reports suggest Osemele is a solid citizen.

MARINATE ON THIS....The Raiders got the NFL's BEST receiver for their quarterback Derek Carr, and they only had to give up a 3rd and 5th round pick. They got to keep all 3 of their first round picks in the 2019 Draft. Are you kidding me? This happens because the Steelers had no leverage, which is why they got punked. Let's look at a Raiders Trade Recap:

 

Now watch Le'Veon Bell go to the Raiders.

[CanadaSteve]

40 minutes ago, Scott Dierking said:

Welp, this thread turned into the usual.

Did you expect anything less?

It really shouldn't be hard to have a conversation where both sides can be seen objectively in the matter.  Like:

1) Was it a good trade?  YES.  We get a guard one year removed from All-pro/Pro Bowl back-to-back seasons still at a good age with years on the contract for a 5th round pick.  We got a 6th back.  Mac has done these kind of trades EXTREMELY well.

2) While it is a great move, what should not be ignored is the line when drafting.  Just because we will probably fill Center in FA and LG, does NOT mean the OL should constantly be ignored.  It is time to spend some draft capital (and by that I mean something prior to the 5th round) on some guys who can sit a year or two before they start, and can start in a pinch.

Lets use this as an example Scott   We can praise the move as solid (which it is) while also stating that the line should not be ignored (which has been a criticism of Mac)!

[CanadaSteve]

10 minutes ago, playtowinthegame said:

MARINATE ON THIS....The Raiders got the NFL's BEST receiver for their quarterback Derek Carr, and they only had to give up a 3rd and 5th round pick. They got to keep all 3 of their first round picks in the 2019 Draft. Are you kidding me? This happens because the Steelers had no leverage, which is why they got punked. Let's look at a Raiders Trade Recap:

Raiders give up:

Khalil Mack

Amari Cooper

2019 3rd round

2019 5th round

2020 2nd round

2020 6th round

In exchange for:

Antonio Brown

2019 1st round (Bears)

2019 1st round (Cowboys)

2020 1st round (Bears)

2020 2nd round (Bears)

2020 5th round (Bears)

 

Now watch Le'Veon Bell go to the Raiders.

There is NO way Brown should have been near Darnold.  Not in any circumstance.  Sometimes, the talent is not worth the headache.  When a franchise like Pittsburgh sends you packing, there is a reason.  They have run that franchise a TAD better than the Jets over the years.

[#27TheDominator]

14 minutes ago, IndianaJet said:

Well...our new O-line coach, Frank Pollack, uses a zone blocking scheme too.

Perhaps they think the new "svelte" Osemele can make that transition.   

I think everybody uses some zone blocking, though Gase has not traditionally been a zone guy.  Osemele has played under Dennison in Baltimore, who was the Jets oline coach last year. His "quick feet" were one of his main assets coming out.  I don't think it is a transition. 

[CanadaSteve]

4 hours ago, JetFaninMI said:

I'm guessing by your witty Photoshop skills you didn't lighten up.

 

[Miss Lonelyhearts]

1 minute ago, #27TheDominator said:

I think everybody uses some zone blocking, though Gase has not traditionally been a zone guy.  Osemele has played under Dennison in Baltimore, who was the Jets oline coach last year. His "quick feet" were one of his main assets coming out.  I don't think it is a transition. 

13,482.) ‘zone blocking system’