With high-priced tackle Trenton Brown in the building, the Oakland Raiders are making changes to the roster.

Saturday afternoon, the team announced that they had mutually parted ways with offensive tackle Donald Penn. This move followed the signing of the former Patriots tackle to a historic contract. Penn has been one of the league's best starters since joining the Raiders in 2014, but he missed 12 games during the 2018 season and was a candidate to be cut due to his $7.225 cap hit in 2019.

“It is always hard to say goodbye to players that you respect and love both for their on-field efforts and the people that they are off the field,” Raiders owner Mark Davis said in a statement released by the team. “Donald Penn is another one of those great Raiders who have come into the organization and left an indelible mark on the franchise and the Raider Nation as a whole. He came to Oakland already with a deep passion for Raiders football and served as a leader and example for the team for five memorable seasons. Donald will always be a Raider and his presence will be missed by the entire Raiders Family. I wish the absolute best for Donald and his family.”

Jon Gruden was very familiar with Penn's services after working with him in both Tampa Bay and Oakland. The veteran was a trusted presence along this offensive line, but his future was also in doubt. The injuries were a concern, and Penn had also hinted at retiring in the near future. Still, Gruden knows that Penn is a solid starter and a benefit to the locker room.

“We’re going to miss Donald Penn around here,” Gruden said. “I got to coach him as a young guy in Tampa and everything he got on the field, he earned. I was lucky enough to get him again here in Oakland. I’m going to miss the toughness and passion that he brought to the team every day. I certainly wish him and his family all the best.” While Penn had expressed a desire on NFL Network to remain with the Raiders and plan for the trip to Las Vegas, the situation changed with Brown arriving in town. The former Patriots Super Bowl champion will man the left side of the line while second-year tackle Kolton Miller will switch to the right side, which is where Penn had previously spent his time. These changes left Penn without a true spot, and he realized that he will still field a healthy market in the tackle-needy NFL.