The Las Vegas Raiders sit at 3-4 heading into Week 8 and are still in contention for a Wild Card berth. With the 2023 NFL trade deadline approaching on October 31, the Raiders are on the borderline of being buyers and sellers and could actually decide to do both. The team has several needs on both sides of the ball, but bringing in a pass rusher to help defensive end Maxx Crosby is priority No. 1.
Raiders must address the pass rush at the NFL trade deadline
One of the wild things about the Raiders' biggest issue heading into the trade deadline is that the franchise has done a ton to address the pass rush in the last two offseasons.
Last year, they brought in All-Pro Chandler Jones to pair with superstar Maxx Crosby, which seemed like an excellent move. However, after just 4.5 sacks in 15 games, it was back to the drawing board at defensive end for Las Vegas.
That’s why the team drafted pass rusher Tyree Wilson out of Texas Tech with the No. 7 pick in the NFL draft this offseason. Yes, Wilson was coming off an injury that required surgery this offseason and he was going to be a project, but that was OK because he could sit behind Jones and Crosby for a season and develop.
Well, things didn’t quite work out like that. Jones had what seemed like an incredibly serious mental health meltdown during training camp and at the start of the season, and the team released the 11-year veteran. That forced Josh McDaniels to play Wilson right away, and he may be even further from ready than initially thought.
Wilson played with no get-off or burst, rendering his pass rush ineffective.
So now, a year-plus removed from starting to address the opposite defensive end spot across the line from Crosby, the Raiders are back where they started, looking for a pass rush. Crosby is having another excellent campaign, with 6.5 sacks in seven games, but he’s doing that against lines that know he is his team’s only pass-rushing threat. Imagine what he could do of the opponent couldn’t slide all their protection to his side?
It’s clear the Raiders' biggest need right now is to trade for a DE to complement Crosby. And as luck would have it, there are several excellent pass rushers who seem like they are available ahead of the Halloween deadline.
Minnesota Vikings veteran edge rusher Danielle Hunter is tied for the league lead with 9.0 sacks this season, and his team seems ready to make a deal. The three-time Pro Bowler is an excellent player, and at 28, he’s younger than you’d think after being in the league for eight seasons.
Another option could be a Washington Commanders DE. With its new ownership group, the Commanders could strip the team down at the NFL trade deadline and simply acquire as many picks as possible to give whoever replaces Martin Mayhew and Ron Rivera this offseason. If that happens, DEs Montez Sweat and Chase Young could be on the market.
Young would be an ideal fit with the Raiders, although the 2020 No. 2 overall pick will likely be the most expensive, both in terms of a contract extension and the draft capital it would take to get him. Still, Young is only 24, and teaming him up with the 26-year-old Maxx Crosby would create one of the best pass-rush tandems in the league for the next half-decade.
One other interesting note on possible Raiders trades is that they have something to send back in a deal that most teams don’t.
As mentioned above, Vegas could be both buyers and sellers at the deadline. Wider receiver Hunter Renfrow has fallen completely out of favor with the team, and the Raiders need to move him while he still has some value. A 27-year-old Pro Bowl WR like Renfrow does have value, though, and the franchise can leverage that to make a deal for a DE.
For example, Carolina Panthers pass rusher Brian Burns is an in-demand name, but it would take a lot to get him out of the NFC South. That said, one thing it seems like the Panthers want is to upgrade their receiver corps to help support 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young.
The Raiders may be one of the only contenders who have a piece like Renfrow that they can — and want to — spare. Dealing him to the Panthers for Burns would make a ton of sense, help Vegas pull off the trade of the deadline, and finally build a pass rush that will strike fear in the hearts of opponents for years to come.