Raiders Active In Trade Talks

The 2-4 Raiders believe that they are postseason contenders despite their current record. Per Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review- Journal, the club has been active in trade conversations, and it does not sound as if it is interested in trading for draft picks. Instead, Bonsignore says Las Vegas is seeking players to immediately upgrade its roster.

To be clear, the Raiders are reportedly uninterested in rentals; they want any player they acquire to be under contract through at least 2023, and if they swing a deal for an impending free agent, they would want to feel confident that they can extend that player. Specifically, the team is on the lookout for defensive upgrades, and a quality interior DL is atop the wish list.

That makes sense given that the Silver-and-Black boasts an offense that ranks in the top-10 in yards per game and points per game and a defense that presently resides in the bottom-10 in both categories. The club already parted with one interior defensive lineman when it traded Johnathan Hankins to the Cowboys earlier this week, but Hankins’ role was diminished under the new Josh McDaniels regime, and he clearly was not seen as a player who could help reverse the defense’s fortunes. Likewise, while former first-round pick Clelin Ferrell has lined up inside on occasion, he is a trade candidate himself.

It is possible that the Raiders are interested in Commanders DT Daron Payne, but the latest reporting indicates that Washington does not want to move Payne. The Panthers have also told interested teams that they are not trading DT Derrick Brown, but a player like Lions DL John Cominsky — who was claimed off waivers in May — could be available for a reasonable price.

The D-line, though, is not the only area that could use an upgrade. The Raiders, like many teams, would likely be in the mix for Bears LB Roquan Smith if Chicago should make him available, and a boost to the secondary in the form of a player like Washington’s William Jackson III  — who is very much up for grabs — could be a consideration as well.

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