Oakland Raiders coach Jon Gruden may have said he’s not looking to trade more players, but that’s not the word on the street. We’ve seen multiple players still linked as potential trade candidates for the Raiders, who currently sit at 1-6. Most recently, it was pass-rusher Bruce Irvin, a player who was expected to be a key part of the team’s defense this season.
As NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero revealed, the Raiders aren’t looking for much in exchange for Irvin either.
“I’ve been told that Bruce Irvin, the veteran pass-rusher formerly of the Seattle Seahawks is available for a late-round draft pick, they want to move him.” Pelissero stated.
It’s an eye-opening asking price, considering the 30-year-old has 18 sacks over the past 39 games. With that said, his offseason move to defensive end hasn’t exactly gone as planned, as he has just six tackles, three sacks and one forced fumble all season. The team was also expecting to have Khalil Mack lining up opposite of him, though, so there’s something to be said about that loss.
Raiders Have ‘Totally Given up’ on Irvin
As Raiders Beat first cited, a report from The Athletic’s Vic Tafur states the Raiders are apparently “over” their veteran pass rusher.
“[Gruden] knew his defense would be worse without Khalil Mack, but this is ridiculous,” The Athletic’s Vic Tafur wrote on Sunday. “The Raiders are last in the league in sacks and pressures, have totally given up on Bruce Irvin and many of the free agents that Gruden and Guenther picked out have been busts.“
This came almost immediately after Irvin played just 24 of the team’s defensive snaps in Week 8 against the Indianapolis Colts. As things stand, there’s likely very little chance Irvin remains with the team throughout the remainder of 2018. Whether or not the Raiders are able to strike a deal remains to be seen, but they are likely to be active in the attempt to move him.
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