Getty Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.
With the NFL season less than a month away, it’s hard to imagine teams making any huge moves. However, that doesn’t mean that every team is perfect. The Las Vegas Raiders are among the teams who have some areas they could improve and are also always looking to add more draft picks.
Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report recently proposed one trade for each NFL team to make this offseason and the Raiders were involved with three notable scenarios. The most surprising one was the suggestion that the team trade quarterback Derek Carr to the Chicago Bears for a first-round pick:
The Raiders have never fully committed to Carr, no matter what is said publicly. They’ve flirted with other quarterback options and have openly praised current backup Marcus Mariota.
The Bears should lean into the other organization’s dalliances and see if something can get done.
Okay, so there are a few big problems with this idea. First, the idea that the Raiders haven’t committed to Carr is patently false. Jon Gruden has now given him the keys to the starting job three years in a row. Plus, a recent report from Mike Silver came out that Gruden is a “staunch” supporter of Carr. Also, the reports are that Mariota hasn’t looked great throwing the ball in training camp. There’s absolutely no possible way that Gruden is going to give up Carr for a draft pick and let Mariota control his offense right now.
Yannick Ngakoue for 2nd Rounder
While the proposed Carr trade was insane, Sobleski did suggest a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars that would be interesting. The Raiders would get Pro Bowl pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue in exchange for a second-round pick:
The Raiders previously showed interest in Ngakoue. The Jaguars wanted a premium package in return, though.
Jacksonville isn’t going to get what it wants. The best it can hope for at this point is a higher-round draft pick with possibly a little more thrown in to sweeten the deal.
Jacksonville would love to get a first-rounder but that’s not going to happen at this point. They might not even be able to get a second-round pick. Ngakoue is really good but he’s not a superstar and he’s also due a big contract. He’d certainly help the Raiders defense and is almost a lock to get double-digit sacks every season but Las Vegas probably wouldn’t give up anything more than a third-round pick this late in the game.
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Gabe Jackson to the Bears?
The last Raiders trade Sobleski proposed was sending offensive guard Gabe Jackson to the Bears for a sixth-round pick:
The Chicago Bears aren’t in an ideal position along their offensive interior after Kyle Long’s retirement. The front office responded by signing Germain Ifedi to a one-year, $1 million deal, but he has been a disappointment since he was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the first round of the 2016 draft.
Maybe his career will blossom in Chicago. But to be safe, the franchise could look to add a quality guard in Jackson.
The Raiders had a chance to get out of Jackson’s big contract earlier in the offseason but decided to stick with him. He’s a really good player, he’s just expensive. Considering the team didn’t let him go earlier, it seems unlikely that they give him for pennies with the season this close.
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