Kelechi Osemele to Raiders: Latest Contract Details and Reaction

The Oakland Raiders are betting big on Kelechi Osemele, agreeing to terms with the veteran offensive lineman ahead of the start of free agency. The Raiders confirmed the news on Thursday. 

On Wednesday, Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com reported Osemele signed a five-year, $58.5 million deal with $25.4 million guaranteed.

Osemele spent the last four years with the Baltimore Ravens, who drafted him in the second round in the 2012 draft. Baltimore's chances of re-signing Osemele seemed to take a hit when the team slapped the franchise tag on kicker Justin Tucker rather than Osemele.

As ESPN.com's Adam Schefter noted at the time, the 26-year-old was bound to cash in during the offseason, whether it was with the Ravens or another team.

Speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh did his best to try to sway Osemele back to Baltimore, per Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun, saying the Ravens offered him an "aggressive" contract:

It's a really aggressive deal. I think it shows a lot of respect for K.O. It shows them that we really want him here and I hope he takes it. I hope he says, "You know what? I know what the Ravens are all about. I know they believed in me. I know what kind of football they want to play and I feel like I'm a part of this thing for a long time like Marshal Yanda's done."

Zrebiec noted the team's approach was "a departure of sorts from the organization's usual free-agent strategy of sitting back and allowing its own unrestricted free agents to test their value on the open market."



Osemele's value skyrocketed after he replaced Eugene Monroe at left tackle. According to Pro Football Focus, he finished as Baltimore's best player at the position.

The difference between offensive guard and offensive tackle is massive in terms of salary. Here's what the top five earners will make at each position, per Spotrac:
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders