Breno Giacomini's daughter got her wish.
Like countless other kids (and let's be honest, adults too) around the world, Giacomini's nine-year-old-daughter is a huge fan of Stephen Curry, and when she found out dad was headed out west to visit the Oakland Raiders, she told him he had to sign, if only so she got the chance to meet her favorite Golden State Warrior.
Well, Giacomini inked a deal with the Silver and Black Thursday afternoon, and now, hopefully his daughter will get a chance to rub shoulders with her favorite NBA baller.
Curry and the Warriors aside, for Giacomini, the time was right to join the Raiders for myriad reasons; not to mention that he's a big fan of the uniforms.
"These are my favorite colors," said Giacomini. "I'm back on the West Coast. I have a lot of connections here, so it feels awesome, and I get to play again, the opportunity to play, so I'm truly blessed."
The veteran tackle wasn't kidding when he said he had a lot of connections inside the Raiders building; General Manager Reggie McKenzie was in the Green Bay Packers front office when Giacomini was drafted, and he's also played with wide receiver Jordy Nelson, linebacker Bruce Irvin, and running back Marshawn Lynch throughout his eight-year career.
Not to mention, that he's worked extensively with offensive line coach Tom Cable as well.
"He's well experienced," Giacomini said of Cable. "He's had a lot of good o-linemen. He works hard, and he expects a lot from us, a lot of hard work, so I kind of know what he expects, and I'm excited about it. It's just having fun too. At the end of the day, it's all about winning, all this preparation that goes into it, we just have to win."
Now entering his ninth NFL season, Giacomini figures to be in the mix at right tackle in 2018, likely competing with third-year lineman Vadal Alexander for the right to start on the right side.
While the Raiders 2017 record was just 6-10, the group's offensive line once again ranked in the top three in pass protection, allowing just 24 sacks last season, and the chance to join the group was another reason Giacomini was attracted to the Silver and Black.
"It's awesome," the veteran tackle said of the Raiders group of linemen. "It's part of the reason I was interested in coming here, because this line can be dominant, and I'm going to do whatever I can do to help the o-line to get better."
Giacomini describes himself as a guy who plays the game "the way it should be played," and while he's unsure of what role he'll fill on the 2018 Raiders, the physical lineman is looking forward to getting to work.
"I try to be aggressive, and I just try to look out for my players, man," he said. "Protect my quarterback, protect the running backs, tight ends, receivers, and have fun doing it."
