Ravens Lose Kelechi Osemele: 3 Big Things To Think About

1. Osemele’s Departure Was Inevitable

The Ravens had no chance of retaining the services of Osemele. The Ravens have money to make a couple of well thought out moves. They certainly don’t have the kind of cash to make Osemele the highest paid guard ever to grace a football field. The Ravens had no chance to sign Osemele. This is a fact and it seems highly unlikely that his departure to Oakland surprised the Ravens. We all knew that this could happen.

The Ravens were prepared for the year their two offensive guards would become a free agent. They found Osemele’s successor at left guard in the 2014 NFL Draft in John Urschel. Urschel is a 6’3″ 305 pound man who can handle his business in the trenches. The Ravens gave Marshal Yanda a contract extension in the middle of this NFL season. They even toyed around with the idea of keeping Osemele. It just wasn’t possible.

The Ravens got their money’s worth from Osemele. They drafted him in the second round in 2012 and he instantly filled the void at left guard. The NFL is a rewarding league to those who succeed, and sometimes that reward comes from a different team than the one that drafts you. All we can do is congratulate Osemele on the new deal and move on. Or we can continue to break down the story from every angle (because that’s more fun).

Next: Osemele Got Overpaid