Getty Oakland Raiders HC Jon Gruden.
The trade deadline is closing in and the Oakland Raiders have already made three trades since the start of the season, they’ve still been rumored to be interested in making more. The rumors have slowed down since the team lost to the Houston Texans in Week 8, but there are needs that should be addressed if Oakland wants to make the playoffs.
Linebacker, wide receiver and pass rush are the team’s biggest needs. The biggest problem is that there isn’t top talent available at any of those roles. This late into the season, teams aren’t very eager to give up their best players for cheap. It’s made harder by the fact that the Raiders don’t seem interested in trading a top draft pick. That being said, there’s one move that seems possible.
Robby Anderson Seems Like the Only Real Options
New York Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson is a name that has been linked to the Raiders since it was reported that he was on the trade block. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport believes that Oakland is a team to watch as a potential taker for Anderson.
Adam Schefter told 975 Mornings that Anderson could be had for just a fifth-round pick. The wide receiver would be a nice addition for the Raiders. He’s never broken 1,000 yards in a season but has gotten close. He’s young and would be a solid number two behind Tyrell Williams, who is finally back from injury. With Anderson and Williams, Oakland would have two number two wide receivers leading their corps. They’ll still need to add a true number one during the offseason in free agency or the draft.
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Team Will Probably Get Linebacker in Free Agency
The Raiders’ linebacking corps has been decimated since the start of the season. They lost Marquel Lee to injury early on and Vontaze Burfict is suspended for the rest of the season. The team brought on Justin Phillips for depth purposes, but he’s also injured for the season. Jon Gruden stated that the team is going to add a linebacker in the coming days. There aren’t any big names that have been reportedly available in the trade market, so it looks like Oakland will need to look towards free agency.
They’re bringing in veteran Will Compton for a workout and will probably try out several other guys. Zach Brown is still out there, but it seems doubtful the Raiders are going to add him. If the team expects to make the playoffs this year, they need to get better on defense. They’ve been torched by teams with good quarterbacks every time and have yet to address it. Adding a wide receiver would be nice, but this team has much bigger issues on the defensive side of the ball. If the Raiders exercise caution and don’t make a trade, it’s probably because they feel like they’re a year away from true playoff contention and would rather build through the draft. Oakland will probably be very interested in adding a linebacker and wide receiver with their two first-round draft picks.
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