With the Las Vegas Raiders falling to 4-5 before the trade deadline, they may want to consider being sellers. Quarterback Kirk Cousins has been good for the team, but had a nightmare performance against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 9.
Fernando Mendoza is the future starting quarterback for the Raiders. The team can hold off on starting him as long as they want, but it’s inevitable that he’ll start eventually.
The Raiders don’t appear too keen on starting Mendoza right now. They may even prefer he doesn’t play at all as a rookie. That makes sense if Cousins didn’t have trade value, but it’s possible that they could get an asset for a player who likely won’t even be on the team next season.
Any talk of the Raiders getting a first- or second-round pick was overblown, but it’s possible to get a Day 2 or Day 3 pick. Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein did some digging and got an idea of what the Raiders could get for Cousins.
“One league source thought a third-round pick would compel the Raiders to send Cousins to Minnesota and move on to Mendoza, recouping capital for a player who won’t net a compensatory pick if he leaves in the spring due to his contract structure,” Epstein wrote. “Two other league sources put Cousins’ value as ranging from a fifth to a fourth, possibly with a conditional clause in the trade.”
Exec Weighs in On Possible Vikings Trade
The leverage that the Raiders have is that they really don’t seem interested in trading Cousins. They’re happy to ride him the rest of the season and pave the way for Mendoza to start next year.
If a team in the playoff mix wants an upgrade at quarterback, it’s going to cost. The Minnesota Vikings are the most obvious fit for Cousins. He spent six years with the franchise, and they’re 6-1 right now.
One executive thinks that the Vikings trading for Cousins is logical, but still doesn’t see the Raiders getting that much.
“That makes sense for them,” a high-ranking AFC executive told Epstein of the Vikings. “It’d be low start-up cost because he understands the offense already. They have enough around him that it wouldn’t be like he’s shouldering everything.
“It shouldn’t cost more than a fourth or a fifth given his age [38] and you’re probably renting him. That’s probably a fourth.”
Cousins Addresses Trade Speculation
Whether or not the Raiders are going to trade Cousins largely depends on their plan for Mendoza. If they’ve already decided that they’re not starting Mendoza this season barring injury issues, his development is more important than a Day 3 draft pick.
Cousins has also become a popular player in the locker room and a leader. Trading him now could send the wrong message to the veterans on the team. For his part, it doesn’t sound like Cousins wants to go anywhere.
“It feels a little bit out of my hands, so I’ll just let decision-makers make decisions and react accordingly,” Cousins told reporters after the game. “I love it here and love the guys here.”
Exec Reveals What It Will Take to Convince Raiders to Trade Kirk Cousins