The Las Vegas Raiders are seen as a dark-horse contender to land wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., but could make a big leap forward depending on the results of some other games on Sunday.
The Arizona Cardinals have reportedly reached a deal to trade their former first-round pick, though the trade partner and exact compensation remain a mystery. One NFL insider suggested that the situation could still be in flux, with a top contender potentially bowing out — and leaving more room for the Raiders to move in.
Raiders Could Make Aggressive Move for Marvin Harrison Jr.
SI.com reporter Jared Koch noted that the Houston Texans are considered the frontrunner to land Harrison, but the Cardinals could still be holding out for a bigger offer.
“With a win in Nashville, the Texans can move forward as usual,” Koch wrote. “They’d be 1-4, able to take a deep breath from their winless first four games, have some sense of momentum now built up, and feel a bit more confident that their second-round investment in Harrison Jr. can still be worthwhile to get wins on the board this season.”
But a loss to the Titans would sink the Texans to 0-5, putting their pursuit of Harrison in question.
“At 0-5, that win-now mindset that Houston entered the season with would be tough to continue to have,” Koch wrote. “Sure, the Texans did come back from similar early-season struggles last year. But especially for the cost of a second-round pick, it makes a Harrison Jr. trade a whole lot less appealing.”
That could give the Raiders an opening. NFL reporter Aaron Wilson noted that the Raiders were among the teams in the mix for Harrison, and a loss by the Texans could give them a chance to increase their offer.
“The Las Vegas Raiders are another potential destination for Harrison, who has been informed he will be traded and will be inactive Sunday against the Detroit Lions,” Wilson wrote on X.
Cardinals Want to Increase Compensation
Former NFL player turned reporter Breiden Fehoko noted in a post on X that the Cardinals were still trying to increase the trade offer for Harrison, which reportedly started at a second-round draft pick.
“The Cardinals are trying to drive up Marvin Harrison Jr’s trade value right now,” Fehoko wrote, quoting an AFC West executive.
The Raiders could have more clarity after Sunday’s game as well. They will face a New England Patriots team coming off an upset win over the Buffalo Bills. A win over the Patriots would move the Raiders to 4-1, solidly establishing them as a contender and potentially raising the stakes for a Harrison trade.
Raiders Have Major Chance to Capitalize on Marvin Harrison Jr. Trade Rumors