Raiders Been Making Trade Calls, Hoping to Do Player-for-Player Swap: Report

dave ziegler
Getty
Las Vegas Raiders GM Dave Ziegler.

The Las Vegas Raiders have serious issues getting after the quarterback. The defense has 7.0 sacks in four games, which is tied for lowest in the NFL.

Part of the reason the pass rush has struggled is due to the fact that defensive end Chandler Jones was recently released due to off-the-field issues. This has left the Raiders with a lack of pass rush depth that they’re looking to fix, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic.

“The Raiders have been busy making calls around the league looking for a pass rusher since releasing Chandler Jones,” Russini wrote in an October 8 column. “They are looking for a player-for-player swap and may not want to give up too much.”

Maxx Crosby is off to a strong start and leads the NFL with 21 hurries, per Pro Football Focus. However, he’s not getting much help. Nobody on the team has more than six hurries outside of Crosby. Rookie first-round pick Tyree Wilson could have a bright future but he’s coming along slowly. The Raiders clearly believe that they need more help along the defensive line.


Potential Pass Rushers for Las Vegas Raiders

Great pass rushers aren’t easy to come by and if the Raiders want a big name, they’ll have to pay up. If they’re willing to swing a big deal, Minnesota Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter, Washington Commanders defensive end Chase Young and Carolina Panthers defensive end Brian Burns are the best options who could be available. The Panthers need wide receiver help so sending them Hunter Renfrow and a second-round pick for Burns may get a deal down.

Young is a former top-five draft pick who has struggled since winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2020. The Raiders may be able to land him for a reasonable price. Hunter would likely be the most expensive as he’s off to a hot start with 5.0 sacks.

Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Derek Barnett isn’t seeing much playing time on a loaded defensive line and could be a logical buy-low option for the Raiders. He has 21.5 career sacks and would be an upgrade over what the team currently has.


Tyree Wilson Working to Improve

The Raiders used the No. 7 overall pick on Tyree Wilson but he’s mostly been a non-factor in four games. He has yet to register his first career sack. Considering he missed offseason workouts and most of training camp as he recovered from an injury, it’s not a surprise he’s off to a slow start.

That said, the Raiders would hope to see a bit more from a player they used such a high draft pick on. For his part, Wilson is working to try and improve his play.

“Evaluate yourself, let the coaches evaluate you, you watch film and go out onto the practice field, then it just becomes (natural) reaction,” Wilson told Sports Illustrated in an October 5 interview.

“You keep getting better and better. You see a lot of plays and the game just slows down to you.”

One way Wilson is trying to improve is to practice meticulously.

“I just keep coming out there with attention to detail in practice,” Wilson said. “Practice reps become game reality. So, I keep working each and every week to get better and help my team.”

Read More
,

Comments

Raiders Been Making Trade Calls, Hoping to Do Player-for-Player Swap: Report

Notify of
1 Comment
Follow this thread
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
1
0
Would love your thoughts, please commentx
()
x