The Raiders were linked to Le’Veon Bell early this morning and now another high profile free agent seems to be in the mix to sign in Oakland. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Patriots left tackle Trent Brown is a player the Raiders might “lock in pretty quickly” at the start of free agency.
Keep an eye on the #Raiders as OT Trent Brown's market heats up. Internally, he's one of their top targets in free agency. pic.twitter.com/xIalBaf4fw
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 11, 2019
As for which scenario is more likely – Bell or Brown? Odds are much better the Raiders prioritize a left tackle over a running back. In fact, it sounds like the Raiders might have the best offer on the table for Brown as of Monday morning.
Brown, 25, is young enough that the Raiders can feel like they are investing in their future and it’s no secret that Jon Gruden is determined to build his offensive line around Derek Carr as quickly as possible.
The Raiders interest in Brown also gives a little insight into what Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock believe they have on the roster at offensive tackle. Kolton Miller was drafted to be the left tackle of the future, but if Brown shows up in Oakland with a big contract, there’s no question that Miller would be moving over and competing at right tackle.
Keep an eye on this one. The Raiders reported interest in Brown seems a lot less agent-driven than what we heard about Bell earlier today.
twitter: @raidersbeat