Will the Raiders make a trade before Tuesday's deadline?

The NFL trade deadline is tomorrow, will our Oakland Raiders be making any moves? Probably not considering that to trade for anybody it would take moving draft picks. Mortgaging the future has not worked out well for the Raiders in the past and is something that Reggie McKenzie is very unlikely to do.

If you thought that maybe Dennis Allen might be more interested in making a trade than Reggie is then you would be wrong. DA doesn't even mention the compensation needed to make a deal when citing why he doesn't see a trade coming on the horizon. He gave a pretty thorough rejection to the idea of a trade even without mentioning the compensation aspect anyway.

"Well there's a reason why you go to training camp. There's a reason why you have an offseason program. It's so that you can install your schemes and what you want to do offensively, defensively, in the kicking game, how you're going to build the culture of your football team. It's just hard to bring a guy in in the middle of the year and think that he's going to come in and have a chance to be really effective for you midway through the year. I just think it's a tough proposition to think that you're going to bring somebody in that's going to make a huge difference, but we'll see"

Despite the extremely unlikely odds of being a player in this year's trade deadline deals, there are some players available that are worth at least taking a look at. In fact, there is one rumoured player in particular who is downright tempting to make a strong effort for in Browns TE Jordan Cameron. Even if there is pretty much no chance of a deal going down we can still talk about what surprise deal we would like to see.

Jordan Cameron, TE Cleveland Browns

Jordan Cameron is the person that is far and away the most tempting player reportedly available. The Cleveland Browns are in full on tanking, opps I mean rebuilding mode and their new star TE is a valuable piece that could be on the move according to the consistently reliable Jason La Confora.

Cameron would not come cheap as the Browns are reportedly looking for a first round pick for the rookie but the 25 year old TE has the makings of the elite with a salary cap friendly contract. He is an ex-basketball player like Jimmy Graham, Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez all were and he is playing a lot like that impressive trio of players as well. However it would take a high draft pick at minimum to get him.

I normally would not condone such a high priced trade but testing the waters for a player like Jordan (who plays a position of need) is something that needs to at least be tossed around in the Oakland front office. I wouldn't give up next year's first round pick but I would consider a couple of 2nd rounders. He is worth it.

Josh Gordon, WR Cleveland Browns

Like Jordan Cameron, Josh Gordon is part of the alleged fire sale interest of the Cleveland Browns. Unlike Jordan Cameron, I would pass on being interested in this intriguing talent. Gordan is a possible Top 5 WR in the NFL, but he is one strike away from a season long suspension and comes with character issues.

Josh may very well be a great player but the locker room concerns should keep the Raiders firmly away. The Browns reportedly want a 1st or at least a 2nd round pick for him anyway, which is a price tag that only Cameron would be worth considering for in my mind.

Hakeem Nicks, WR New York Giants

Hakeem Nicks got the Giants kiss of death recently when coach Tom Coughlin questioned his consistency publicly. Most signs point towards Nicks being gone from New York at the end of the year when his contract expires, and that means he could be gone by Tuesday. Not so fast though, Nicks loves being a Giant and the G-Man are likely to get a compensatory pick if he leaves in free agency so neither side is motivated to move the underperforming star.

If the Raiders consider themselves to be still contending for the playoffs they could make a move, but it's far more likely and efficient to just wait until next year's free agency if they want him for the future. His price for a trade wont be as cheap as once thought and his next contract could be too big to be worth it for Oakland.

Maurice Jones-Drew, RB Jacksonville Jaguars

Maurice Jones-Drew is not the player he once was but a change of scenery could do good for the 28 year old Jaguar running back. He grew up a Raiders fan and would likely embrace the Silver and Black if Oakland wants him. He would be a nice compliment to Darren McFadden and already has a good relationship with former teammate Rashad Jennings.

Despite him being a good fit and nice to have for negotations leverage with DMC in his contract year, this deal is about as unlikely as they come. He has battled injuries the last couple years and the compensation to get him is unknown. The Raiders are unlikely to make any moves at all, but trading for an aging running back is even less likely. MJD was included simply because he is one of the most talented players rumoured to be available.

Jared Allen, DE Minnesota Vikings

Jared Allen is getting older at 31 and will be a free agent next year, so waiting to take a shot at him would make more sense than a trade. He would likely take at least a 2nd round pick for him which would never happen from Reggie McKenzie.

Even so Jared is a player Raiders fans know well from his time in Kansas City and have wanted ever since. He brings the energy of a classic Raider and still is very much a force. I would love to see him in Oakland, just not at the price it'd take to get him.