Raiders Free Agency Day one recap: Two key pieces acquired with cliffhanger

The early results are in for the Raiders first day of Free Agency and they're positive. Though no moves have been announced yet, the two signings that have been confirmed are that of Kelechi Osemele and Bruce Irvin. Both signings have been widely praised and neither broke the bank.

Both players had agreed to terms on the eve of the start of free agency, which had Raiders fans yearning for more as the bell run to officially kick off the new league year at 1pm Pacific time.

The excitement was at getting the top offensive lineman on the market and adding a pass rusher to go along with Khalil Mack on an extremely friendly 4-year, $37 million deal. That makes for a $9.25 million per season average, with most money guaranteed up front to limit the cap figure in future seasons.

For some perspective on just how friendly that deal is for the Raiders, consider they could have gone after former Dolphins pass rusher Olivier Vernon who signed with the Giants on a deal that paid him $17 million per season.

Getting into a bidding war for Vernon would not have been favorable to the Raiders. Instead they got a guy who is familiar with Ken Norton Jr and who is the top coverage linebacker on the market, for nearly HALF the price of the huge deal Vernon received.

The good feeling from the Osemele and Irvin signings would have to carry Raiders fans throughout the first day, because, while there was a lot to discuss, there wasn't another report of the Raiders agreeing to terms with a free agent the remainder of the day.

There was, however, the first Raiders free agent signed away. It was Tony Bergstrom who joined the Houston Texans, where he could have a decent shot of getting his career going. He wasn't going to get that chance in Oakland as a backup center behind Rodney Hudson.

Other than that, the Raiders watched as the big names flew off the market.

All the top running backs found homes - DeMarco Murray was traded to the Titans, Doug Martin re-signed with the Buccaneers, Chris Ivory joined the Jaguars, and Lamarr Miller went to the Texans.

The running backs get a mention because the Raiders were reportedly interested in Martin and Ivory before they signed their deals.

The main area the Raiders have been expected to make a move was in the secondary. On that front, there are two players they are currently chasing - Eric Weddle and Sean Smith.

There is said to be mutual interest between the Raiders and Weddle in getting a deal done, but that's as much as we know at this time. Sean Smith is a primary target for the Raiders, but there are other teams in the mix as well, including, apparently the Chiefs trying to lure him back.

With Janoris Jenkins signing with the Giants, Smith has his market set and now he just has to decide which deal he will take.

That's where it was left as of Wednesday night with fans staring at their computer screen like they just watched one of those frustrating cliffhangers after binge watching an entire season of 24.

Come the morning, all this will pick up again. At which point you can read this in Keifer Sutherland's voice with "Previously, in Raiders Free Agency. Tick, tick, tick."

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