Some of the best targets for the Chargers are still on other teams. As free agency nears, the team will keep a close eye on some potential cuts. One of those should be Kelechi Osemele. Osemele has played left guard for the Raiders the prior three years. Prior to that he spent four years with the Ravens. Osemele has always been known as one of the best offensive lineman in the NFL.
The Raiders can save over $10 million without a dead cap hit if they release Osemele this offseason. They can also eliminate his $10.2 million cap hit off of the books with zero penalty. With a new general manager, many are expecting this to happen. PFF expects a bounce back year for Osemele:
What was once one of the best offensive lines in the NFL as recently as 2016, the Raiders were among the worst in 2018. Some of that was obviously due to rookies at both left and right tackle, but Osemele’s head-scratching decline also played a part. His 97.6 pass-blocking efficiency was his lowest figure since 2013. Not even 30 years old, Osemele should be in the prime of his career which makes his downturn that much more unexplainable.
Osemele was an All-Pro in 2016. If the Chargers are to make a run with Philip Rivers, this is the type of player they need to go out and get. Osemele would be a big improvement over Dan Feeney.
