Wild Raiders Trade Proposal Lands Generational WR Prospect

Heading into the 2024 season, Davante Adams will likely be one of the oldest players on the Las Vegas Raiders at 31. In fact, the team only has four players over the age of 30 under contract for 2024.

It’s possible the Raiders may want to focus on building around young players under new head coach Antonio Pierce. Aaron Schatz of ESPN had a trade idea that would send Adams and the No. 13 pick to the Arizona Cardinals for the No. 4 pick.

Would the Raiders use that pick on a quarterback? No. Schatz sees the Raiders drafting former Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. to replace Adams.

“Is Adams happy in Las Vegas? He says yes, but his role could change with a new coaching staff,” Schatz wrote in a February 23 column. “It might make sense for the Raiders to move on from Adams and his big contract now that he’s turning 32 this year.

“So how about trying to replace Adams with coveted WR Harrison? A big trade up the draft board would help the Cardinals improve their receiving corps with Adams while also giving them the 13th overall pick to improve their league-worst defense from 2023. The Raiders would get perhaps the best receiving prospect in years at a rookie-contract salary.”

Harrison is expected to be the first wide receiver selected in the 2024 NFL draft after winning the Fred Biletnikoff Award for the best wide receiver in college football in 2023.

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This Trade Would Make Some Sense for Las Vegas Raiders

While Davante Adams is a team captain and still playing at an elite level, it’s easy to understand the logic of the Raiders getting younger at the position. Marvin Harrison Jr. is among the best wide receiver prospects that have entered the NFL in years. He combined for 2,474 receiving yards and 28 touchdowns across his last two seasons at Ohio State.

Plus, he’s still only 21 so he could be a top wide receiver for a long time. Giving up both Adams and the No. 13 pick for Harrison is a steep price but the Raiders wouldn’t need to worry about the wide receiver position for a while.

For the Cardinals, this trade makes less sense. The team desperately needs to give Kyler Murray a wide receiver and he could have a lot of success with Adams. That said, the Cardinals are also a very young team and Adams certainly doesn’t fit their timeline. Harrison would give them a young wide receiver who can develop with Murray for years to come.

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Las Vegas Raiders Need a QB

Another issue with this potential ESPN trade is that the Raiders need a quarterback. Marvin Harrison Jr. is good enough to make a quarterback’s job easier but if the team is going to swing a big trade in the draft, it’s likely to find a franchise quarterback.

Davante Adams struggled to get the ball consistently with Aidan O’Connell so it’s unlikely that the quarterback would be able to get Harrison the ball more effectively. Harrison is going to be a great player at the NFL level but the Raiders have far bigger needs than a wide receiver with a top-five pick.

However, it is worth noting that general manager Tom Telesco isn’t afraid to draft wide receivers early. While with the Los Angeles Chargers, he used the No. 7 pick to draft Mike Williams in 2017.

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