Raiders trade deadline thoughts

With the Las Vegas Raiders off to a disappointing 1-4 start and with the NFL trade deadline looming in less than two weeks, it’s no surprises the trade winds are starting to swirl around the organization.

This week, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported the Raiders are shopping some players, including safety Johnathan Abram and defensive end Clelin Ferrell. Fowler quoted an NFC executive saying that new Las Vegas general manager Dave Ziegler and new head coach Josh McDaniels are aggressively trying to find the correct players for the personality of this new team and are looking to continue to purge players from the the roster they inherited.

The Raiders had among the most turnover on the roster in the NFL this offseason and it appeared after a slow start, Ziegler and McDaniels are reportedly looking for more change.

Fowler noted that the Raiders have entertained trade talks on both Ferrell and Abram for some time. Of course, along with running back Josh Jacobs, the new Las Vegas brass declined the fifth-year option on Ferrell and Abram in the spring. Thus, the 2019 first-round draft picks will be free agents after the season.

It’s unlikely the Raiders would get a ton back in return for either player, although Abram is a starter, so he might demand more in return than Ferrell would.

The trade deadline is November 1 at 1 p.m. PT. The Raiders, whose next six opponents are a combined 13-20-2, play two games before the deadline. If Las Vegas loses to either the Houston Texans (1-3-1) on Sunday at at the New Orleans Saints (2-4), the Raiders will be a two-win team, at best, at the deadline.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

If that’s the case, perhaps the Raiders could make more players available at the deadline Jacobs could be intriguing to a playoff contender that needs a ground game boost. We will see if the Raiders go into ‘fire sale” mode, but it appears they are, at least, considering making some deals in the next 13 days.