The Oakland Raiders have been a bit of a roller coaster lately.
In 2016, they were pretty good, despite an early postseason exit. Then in 2017, they were bad, and got even worse in 2018, which is why they own the fourth overall pick in next month’s NFL Draft.
Jon Gruden trading Khalil Mack was a pretty nonsensical move, but it also doesn’t help that Oakland’s offense has been anemic thanks in part to quarterback Derek Carr. They have few weapons on offense, with their running back, Marshawn Lynch, losing effectiveness by the day.
But if a recent report is right and the Raiders get their way, that might soon change.
NFL Insider Benjamin Allbright tweeted out a text conversation that seems to indicate the Raiders are looking to perform an offensive overhaul and acquire three pretty big names.
Interesting.
It’s possible the Raiders could finesse this, but it sure wouldn’t be easy.
Antonio Brown is forcing his way out of the Pittsburgh Steelers, demanding a trade after a controversial end to his season. The Steelers seem unwilling to sell low on him though, so the Raiders probably would have to (at the very least) give up a decent draft pick.
In terms of Le’Veon Bell, he will hit unrestricted free agency when it opens later this month. He sat out all of last season because he did not want to play under the franchise tag the Steelers had given him for another year. He’s made clear that he’s looking for a pretty lucrative deal in free agency.
Then there’s Murray, who is a bit of a dice roll. There’s no denying his talent or the athleticism he possesses, but that’s a tough environment to throw a rookie into right away. Plus, it’s been rumored the Arizona Cardinals will go for him with the No. 1 overall pick, so if that’s their plan the Raiders will have to find a way to trade up to nab the Oklahoma product.
The Raiders could be in a bad place if they swing and miss on this though, so they probably will take as many risks as they need to.
