Story by
Raiders Moves At Trade Deadline Will Be All About Price
- Story by
- Raiders Moves At Trade Deadline Will Be All About Price
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
The Las Vegas Raiders are currently 4-4, and technically they're still in the running for a playoff berth. That might seem far fetched to anyone who's watched their defense and running game in action, but the Raiders are popping up in trade rumors these days, which is mostly a good thing.
Coach Klint Kubiak is doing his best to tamp down rumors. He says he's talking to GM John Spytek about possibilities every day, but the coach would only say that "you're talking about many scenarios" this close to the deadline.
Advertisement
Defensive end Maxx Crosby is the most obvious possibility, but Crosby is toeing the party line. He's still excited, which isn't surprising given that the Raiders finally broke their four-game losing streak on Sunday against the New York Jets.
It's the first time since 2021 that the Raiders haven't had a losing record going into November, per Sam Warren of The Athletic, which is noteworthy. Kubiak is the main reason Crosby is committed to the Raiders, and the word around the league is that the defensive end won't be available, despite the fact that his biggest number is down.
Crosby has three sacks through eight games, which is on pace for the fewest of his career. But the writer added that his 16.5 percent pressure rate is 11th-highest among players with over 100 pass-rush snaps, according to TruMedia, and that would be his best mark since 2021.
Crosby is still being chipped and double-teamed at one of the league's highest rates, and it's genuinely frightening to think of where the Raiders defense would be without him.
Advertisement
As a result, any trade the Raiders would be "forward looking," according to Warren. Las Vegas has enough draft capital to fill some of the more obvious positional holes, but Spytek is wary of repeating the mistakes of the past.
The biggest needs are at defensive tackle and receiver, with Brian Thomas Jr. currently being linked to the Raiders in dozens of rumors.
Warren threw out another intriguing name at defensive tackle, stating that Moro Ojomo of the Philadelphia Eagles would fit well with Tonka Hemingway, especially given that he has ties to several former teammates and coaches who are now with the Raiders.
The caveat is that the Raiders would really have to like the price on any prospective deal. Quarterback Kirk Cousins and receiver Tre Tucker have been mentioned in some of the wilder rumors, and Warren also threw out edge rsuher Malcolm Koonce, quarterback Aidan O'Connell and safety Isaiah Pola-Mao as players on expiring deals who could yield returns.
But the most likely player to move is guard Jackson Powers-Johnson, and anyone beyond him feels problematic at this point.
