Oakland Raiders strike quickly on Trent Brown in free agency
The Oakland Raiders have a couple of major moves set to go through when the new league year opens, striking quickly in free agency by signing Trent Brown.
The Oakland Raiders wasted no time striking in free agency after making their blockbuster trade for wide receiver Antonio Brown.
They’ve added another ‘Brown’ to the fray, this time signing offensive tackle Trent Brown to be Derek Carr’s new blindside protector.
The #Raiders are signing OT Trent Brown to a massive contract worth $66M over 4 years, meaning first-round Kolton Miller could end up on the right side. pic.twitter.com/zKtvhK8los
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 11, 2019
The Raiders traded offensive guard Kelechi Osemele to the New York Jets, clearing some more space and perhaps budget for the offensive line in free agency. This move solidifies the tackle positions for them and gives them one of the best young players at left tackle in the league, at least as of this past season.
Brown was traded to the New England Patriots during the 2018 NFL Draft, coming over from the San Francisco 49ers.
He blossomed under noted offensive line guru Dante Scarnecchia, who has worked wonders for the Patriots since their embarrassing performance in the 2015 AFC Championship game against the Denver Broncos.
The Raiders must believe Tom Cable can keep Brown on this positive trajectory.
If it wasn’t clear before, it’s clear now that the Raiders have prioritized fixing the offensive side of the ball in free agency and they probably aren’t done yet.
What could be on deck for Oakland?
I think they are the clear favorites for Le’Veon Bell at this point. The addition of Antonio Brown was a clear indicator they aren’t worried about adding some big personalities to the locker room, and Bell makes sense for them from a need perspective.
This team needs star power offensively. They got some in the form of their newest wide receiver, but Bell is a player who could help dramatically change their offense even further.
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Free agents have to be giddy about the idea of playing in Nevada in 2020 and beyond where there is no income tax. For a guy like Bell who sat out an entire year because he wants to get paid, playing in a state that is income free (even after one year of playing in California for a year where income tax is outrageous) has to be an attractive possibility.