Kelechi Osemele will reportedly sign a free agent contract with the Oakland Raiders after the Vikings and other teams dropped out of the bidding.
I don’t know who exactly will be playing left guard for the Vikings in 2016, but it won’t be Kelechi Osemele. Rand Getlin of NFL Network reports that Osemele will sign a big-money free agent contract with the Oakland Raiders once free agency officially starts on Wednesday.
Getlin reported Monday that the Minnesota Vikings were “surging” in the Osemele sweepstakes but evidently that surge was not enough.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported Tuesday morning that both the Vikings and Jets were in on Osemele but the bidding got too rich for both teams, leaving the Raiders as the victors.
Financials on Osemele’s expected contract with the Raiders will not be available until after he signs, but according to Albert Breer of NFL Network Osemele was looking for $20 million in year one of the deal.
The 26-year-old Osemele is graded as the #1 free agent offensive guard by PFF but is seen as having extra value because he has experience playing left tackle, a position that generally pays better than left guard.
You best believe Osemele’s agent brought up that whole “my client can play left tackle” thing in negotiations.
Despite the speculation about Osemele possibly playing left tackle, the Vikings reportedly viewed Osemele as a guard. This could explain why they were unwilling to stay in the bidding after the numbers got way high.
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Keep in mind too that Minnesota is likely set to pay left tackle Matt Kalil $11.1 million for 2016. Paying Osemele and Kalil would have been problematic from a salary cap/general fiscal sanity standpoint.
With Osemele now off the table, where does that leave Minnesota? There are other free agent options at left guard, including Tony Sparano’s old pal Richie Incognito.
If the Vikings want a quick infusion of “attitude” and “toughness,” Incognito might be their guy.