Raiders agree to trade Osemele to NY Jets, re-sign Hankins

OAKLAND, Calif. — That Antonio Brown was alleged to have quit on teammates when not finishing out the 2018 season didn’t stop the Raiders from reaching a blockbuster sign-and-trade for the wide receiver this weekend.

They had less patience for a player on their 2018 roster whom they perceived to have done something similar.

Left guard Kelechi Osemele missed five games to a number of ailments, including a knee sprain, last season. In recent weeks, several people close to the situation indicated the Raiders believed Osemele should have missed fewer. The two-time Pro Bowler is being dealt to the New York Jets in a move that clears $10.2 million in cash and cap space while also upgrading an April 27 draft pick.

A sixth-round choice, No. 198 overall, was swapped for the Jets’ early fifth-round pick, No. 141 overall, a person familiar with the deal confirmed.

If not dealt, Osemele was a candidate for release.

The Raiders are considered firmly in the offensive line market as the start of free agency looms. A two-day negotiation period, during which teams can discuss contract parameters with other clubs’ impending free agents, begins Monday. Free agency officially opens Wednesday at 1 p.m. with the start of the 2019 league year.

Sunday’s trade agreement cannot be formally processed until then.

Staying busy

The Raiders kept a defensive tackle they covet from becoming an unrestricted free agent.

On Sunday, defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins agreed to a two-year contract. Additional details on the terms were not immediately available. ESPN first reported the deal.

Hankins joined the franchise on Sept. 12 to fill in for nose tackle Justin Ellis, who suffered a foot sprain two days earlier in the season opener. Hankins, who turns 27 this month, wound up leading all Raiders defensive tackles with 573 defensive snaps in 15 games. Fourteen were starts.

The run stopper finished with 36 tackles, including four for a loss, and two fumble recoveries.

Much work remains on the defensive line entering the league year. Arden Key, a 2018 third-round pick, is the Raiders’ only defensive end under contract. Barring a trade, the Raiders are expected to select a defensive end on April 25 with the No. 4 overall pick.

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