The Raiders made the first big splash in free agency this offseason by signing Kelechi Osemele to bolster their offensive line. The left guard is looking to pack a punch in his debut season with the Silver and Black thanks to his physical playing style.
"I'm trying to knock you out," Osemele told the team's official website. "They call me 'KO' for a reason. They've been calling me that for a while, so that really defines who I am as a man. I'm going to look you in the eye and I'm going to take you down."
The 6-foot-5, 333-pound mauler was signed to a five-year, $58.5 million deal in hopes that he can pave the way toward ending Oakland's 13-year absence from the postseason. He has plenty of experience in that department, playing in six postseason games over his first four seasons in the league.
In his rookie season in 2012, Osemele started all 16 games at right tackle for the Ravens. It was his switch to left guard during that postseason, however, that solidified Baltimore's offensive line and keyed a Super Bowl-winning campaign.
The top-rated offensive lineman in Around The NFL's top free agents list (and No. 3 overall) is known for his run blocking prowess. Oakland finished 28th in total rushing yards, and 21st in yards per carry last season with a lackluster 3.9 (interestingly enough, the same mark as Osemele's Ravens) tally. Now Latavius Murray and co. have increased lanes to look forward to on the left side.
"I come from a place where we believe in running the ball, and it's good to be [in] another organization where that seems to be the goal with what they want to do," Osemele said. "I'm a mauler, that's what I do. I'm a road grader. I like to run people over and leave them there flat, so I'm glad to be on a team that is headed that direction."
The Raiders have plenty of shiny toys to work with on offense this season, which is a big reason why they're a sexy pick to end their postseason drought. But it's the unit up front that will determine if Oakland has a puncher's chance of winning the AFC West.
"It's a big physical group," Oakland head coach Jack Del Rio said. "Really feel like we should be able to surge with that group of men up front. They kind of lead the way, create some running room, create a nice pocket for Derek [Carr]. Those are things we're looking to do. It all starts with our guys up front. I feel like we have a good group."
