The Las Vegas Raiders are 3-1 in the regular season through four weeks and look to be ahead of schedule as contenders. Winning the AFC West might be a long shot, but a playoff appearance wouldn’t be a huge surprise at this rate.
So, with the Raiders potentially looking to win now, it might not be a surprise if they were to go out and acquire help at the NFL trade deadline. If they do, then wide receiver is obviously one area of the roster they should look to improve.
However, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler shared why the Raiders, despite a big WR need, might not trade for the position this season. The reason? It’s all about preserving future value with draft capital.
Raiders might not trade for WR help amid draft-pick plans
“Receiver is a need for the Raiders, but they’ve been inclined to preserve draft capital and develop their young receivers, and I’m not sure the 3-1 start changes that,” Fowler writes.
For most 3-1 teams, they might be eyeing the NFL trade deadline as a chance to improve their playoff chances that season. But the Raiders might be different.
They’ve yet to start Fernando Mendoza this season, their QB of the future. Their schedule gets a bit more challenging, and the Raiders are also still building their team for the future.
So far, things have gone well. It might seem tempting to buy at the trade deadline to improve the wide receiver room, but it might make more sense for the Raiders to focus on their in-house options for a year, save the draft capital, and try for a rookie in the draft.
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They might also have a better chance of landing a star receiver if they wait until the offseason. The New England Patriots got A.J. Brown this past offseason in a trade; who’s to say the Raiders can’t find someone of a similar caliber to acquire next offseason?
Tre Tucker is a solid receiving option, and with how Brock Bowers is mainly used as a wide receiver, Tucker is more of a WR2 than a WR1.
Jalen Nailor, Jack Bech, Dont’e Thornton Jr., and Cody White aren’t terrible options in the WR room either.
Sure, there’s reason for the Raiders to go out and pursue WR help at the trade deadline, especially with their winning record. But, as Fowler notes, their plan to preserve draft capital might lead the Raiders to refrain from a trade for a WR this Fall.
