Getty Hunter Renfrow, Davante Adams & Alex Bars of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Free agency is essentially wrapped up but the Las Vegas Raiders‘ roster is far from a finished product. Head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler are doing a lot to retool a roster that went 6-11 last season. So far, it doesn’t appear the team has made substantial improvements in any area.
Luckily, there are moves still to be made. When the Raiders signed Jakobi Meyers to a $33 million contract, there was speculation that Hunter Renfrow would be getting traded. That hasn’t happened yet but nothing can be ruled out until the draft is over. There’s talk of the Raiders wanting to trade up in this year’s draft to select a quarterback. The Arizona Cardinals at No. 3 make the most sense as a trade partner.
They have a quarterback and have so many needs that they should acquire as many picks as they can. Similar to the Raiders, they have a Pro Bowl wide receiver that has been the subject of trade rumors. DeAndre Hopkins has been one of the best wide receivers in the NFL for the past several years but he’ll be 31 in June and doesn’t fit in with the Cardinals’ timeline for a rebuild.
He’ll likely be moved and perhaps the Raiders and Cardinals can help each other out. If the two teams feel like swinging a wild trade, there’s a rare opportunity here. Las Vegas could send Renfrow, the No. 7 pick and pick No. 38 for Hopkins and the No. 3 pick. That would certainly be a blockbuster trade but it does make sense.
Why This Trade Would Make Sense for Raiders
Some believe the Raiders are entering a rebuild but that’s not necessarily true. Las Vegas wouldn’t have given a veteran quarterback like Jimmy Garoppolo a $72.75 million contract if they didn’t think they could be competitive next season. That’s not to mention the fact that Maxx Crosby, Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs are three of the NFL’s best players and aren’t going to like the idea of a rebuild.
This trade with the Cardinals allows the Raiders to make a move for the future while also improving the present. Hopkins and Adams would immediately form the best wide receiver duo in the NFL. With the No. 3 pick, the Raiders can take their quarterback of the future who can learn behind Garoppolo for a year or two. While giving up a second-round pick to help add an offensive player is a difficult pill to swallow with so many needs on defense, it’s hard to see many teams slowing down an offense that features Adams, Hopkins, Jacobs and Meyers. The Raiders can then use the rest of their picks to sure up the offensive line and defense. The team holds 12 picks so there’s plenty of room to work.
Here’s what DeAndre Hopkins will look like with Davante Adams if the Raiders acquire him in a trade:
Texans Could Pass on QB at No. 2
There is also some new intel that might make this trade with the Cardinals even more appealing. There’s momentum gaining that the Houston Texans may pass on selecting a quarterback at No. 2. According to ESPN’s Matt Miller, the Texans may not want to add a quarterback this year if Alabama’s Bryce Young is the No. 1 pick by the Carolina Panthers.
“There is a belief around the league that Houston has eyes for Bryce Young (Alabama) but isn’t sold on the other potential Round 1 quarterbacks,” Miller wrote.
If the Texans stay put and draft Alabama pass rusher Will Anderson, that would mean the Raiders would have their choice of Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, Kentucky’s Will Levis and Florida’s Anthony Richardson at No. 3. That’s a very good spot to be in and all they really had to give up with a second-round pick.