The Raiders remain to be one of the most recognizable and iconic franchises in the league today. They are looking to open a new chapter in their history books with a relocation to Las Vegas heading into the 2020 NFL season.
It is only apt to take a look back on the success they have had in their previous homes in Los Angeles and Oakland. The Men in Black have previously executed a handful of trades that landed them several of the league's best players. They are the ones who contributed to cementing the legacy of the franchise for the years to come.
Unbeknownst to many, the Raiders have a certain affinity in trading for defensive players, three of which have made it to this list along with an offensive lineman and a well-known running back.
Here are the top 5 trades in Las Vegas Raiders history (this includes when they were in other cities, obviously):
5. Marshawn Lynch
Running back Marshawn Lynch may not have spent his best days with the Raiders but still made it to the list simply because he's Marshawn Lynch.
He was first drafted by the Buffalo Bills back in 2007 but eventually made a name for himself as a member of the Seattle Seahawks. He garnered a second-team All-Pro appearance, two first-team All-Pro selections, two NFL rushing touchdowns leader awards, five trips to the Pro Bowl, and a Super Bowl XLVIII championship from 2010 to 2015.
On February 7, 2016, the day of Super Bowl 50, Lynch announced his initial retirement and subsequently became a mentor to several college football players of his alma mater, the University of California, Berkeley. In early April 2017, he decided to make a comeback to the NFL and took his talents to his hometown Oakland Raiders.
He was eventually traded by the Seahawks along with their 2018 sixth-round draft pick in exchange for Oakland's 2018 fifth-round selection. Lynch only had a brief stint with the Raiders lasting for two seasons from 2017 to 2018.
His presence brought much excitement to Raiders' games and reeled more fans to support the team during that stretch. He also fulfilled his desire to play for his hometown team before the franchise's impending relocation to Las Vegas.
4. Bob Brown
Offensive lineman Bob Brown had a good career going early on as he earned the 1964 NFL Rookie of the Year award with the Philadelphia Eagles. He was also named as a Pro Bowler in 1965 and 1966 during his five-season career with the Eagles.
After asking for a trade from the Eagles, Brown was sent to the Los Angeles Rams in a five-player trade in May of 1969. He only had a short stint in the City of Angels as he was on the move again.
Brown was eventually traded by the Rams to the Oakland Raiders, along with two draft picks, in exchange for offensive tackle Harry Schuh and cornerback Kent McCloughan in June 1971. During the 1971 season, he shared the field with four other eventual Pro Football Hall Of Fame offensive linemen namely Art Shell, Gene Upshaw, Jim Otto, and Ron Mix.
He hanged his cleats and ended his playing career as a Raider by the end of the 1973 season. Brown grabbed four second-team All-Pro inclusions, five first-team All-Pro selections, and six Pro Bowl appearances through 10 seasons in the league. He was eventually inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
3. Ted Hendricks
Defensive end Ted Hendricks started out his career with the then-Baltimore Colts as a second-round pick in the 1969 NFL Draft. He spent a total of five seasons with the team where was a second-team All-Pro member, first-team All-Pro member, three-time Pro Bowler, and a Super Bowl V champion.
In 1974, Hendricks took his talents to the Green Bay Packers where he earned another Pro Bowl appearance and his second first-team All-Pro selection. Raiders team owner Al Davis took notice of the budding star and sent two first-round draft picks to the Packers for the rights to Hendricks, signing him as a limited free agent.
The former Miami Hurricane would go on to start a total of 122 games for the Raiders, while also making four additional Pro Bowl appearances and three more All-Pro teams. He also bannered the championship runs of the Raiders during their three Super Bowl wins in 1976, 1980, and 1983. Hendricks eventually retired as a champion by the end of the 1983 season which led to his election in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987 and in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.
2. Mike Haynes
Another pivotal piece in the Raiders' 1983 Super Bowl championship run made it to the list.
Cornerback Mike Haynes was selected in the first round in the 1976 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots and was poised to be a big part of the team's future. He went on to earn a Pro Bowl invitation as a rookie and successfully won the 1976 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Haynes continued to have impressive runs with the Patriots until the 1982 season.
In 1983, the Raiders traded a 1984 first-round pick and 1985 second-round pick to New England in exchange for the All-Pro cornerback. He eventually starred in the team's bid to claim the Super Bowl XVIII crown and won the lone championship of his career.
He eventually formed a formidable duo alongside fellow cornerback Lester Hayes which was recognized as one of the league's best defensive tandems at the time. The former Arizona State standout ended his seven-year tenure in Los Angeles in 1989. His 14-year playing career saw him earn a total of six second-team All-Pro selections, two first-team All-Pro inclusions, nine Pro Bowl appearances, and a Super Bowl XVIII ring.
Haynes was ultimately inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997.
1. Willie Brown
The late Willie Brown deservingly tops this list and remains to be the Raiders' greatest defensive player of all time.
The Grambling State cornerback went undrafted in the 1963 NFL Draft but was signed by the AFL's Denver Broncos and became a starter midway through his rookie season. He won All-AFL honors in his second season and also played in the AFL All-Star Game in 1964.
In 1967, Brown was eventually traded by the Broncos to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for a third-round pick and journeyman defensive tackle Rex Mirich. His career eventually took off during his time donning the Silver and Black.
His most memorable moment as a Raider came late in Super Bowl XI when he intercepted a Fran Tarkenton pass with under six minutes remaining and returned it a Super Bowl-record 75 yards for a touchdown. His record stood for 29 years until former San Francisco 49ers cornerback Kelly Herndon broke it in Super Bowl XL.
Brown closed his football career with five AFL All-Star appearances, two second-team All-Pro selections, two first-team All-Pro inclusions, four trips to the Pro Bowl, an AFL championship, and three Super Bowl titles.
He was ultimately selected to the American Football League All-Time Team and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in July of 1984. After retiring, Brown went on to become a defensive backs coach for the team from 1979 to 1988.
He then became the head coach of the Long Beach State 49ers football team in 1991, and served the same role for the David Starr Jordan High School in 1994. He eventually found his way back to the Raiders as a director for staff development from 1995 before he succumbed in 2019 at the age of 78.
Willie Brown's legacy and contribution to the franchise definitely set the bar high for the next generation of Raiders moving forward.
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