Rarely in the past has the official word come down this quickly but the Raiders didn't waste much time in announcing they had officially locked in Tyvon Branch for the next four years. They didn't announce any additional specific details of the contract outside of the contract length.

Here is some of what they had to say:

Safety Tyvon Branch and the Oakland Raiders have agreed to terms on a four-year contract, the team announced Saturday.

Branch, a 6-foot, 210-pound veteran from Connecticut, is entering his fifth NFL season. A 2011 Pro Bowl alternate, he has started 48 straight games entering 2012, having last missed a contest in 2008, as a rookie.

Selected by the Raiders as the first of two choices in the fourth round (100th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft, Branch led Oakland in tackles each of the last two seasons, and topped the 100-tackle mark for a third straight year in 2011.

The contract is said to be for four years, $26.6 million with $17.1 million guaranteed and a $5.6 million signing bonus. The deal could be worth a maximum of $28 million with incentives.

According to Branch's agent, Tyvon was not even present to agree to the deal. He agreed to terms over Skype. A new age of technology for a new era in Oakland.