Well, that was fast.
The Raiders already have made a move in free agency, striking a tentative deal with Patriots left tackle Trent Brown. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Brown will sign after 4:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday a four-year, $66 million deal.
Of that amount, $36.75 million is fully guaranteed. He also becomes the highest-paid offensive lineman in football, at $16.5 million per year.
The speed with which the Raiders moved suggests either that they negotiated the deal in a matter of minutes during the legal tampering window, or that the deal already has been done during the illegal tampering window. But that’s not for us to decide.
A seventh-round pick of the 49ers in 2015, the Patriots acquired Brown last year in a trade. He started all 19 games last year for the Super Bowl champions, thrust into the lineup after first-rounder Isaiah Wynn suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon during the preseason. Wynn, when healthy, becomes the new left tackle.