The Athletic’s Michael Lombardi raised a stir last week when he said that the Jaguars were close to an agreement to trade Yannick Ngakoue.
The deal didn’t happen, but Lombardi still believes a trade for Ngakoue is inevitable.
“I got a tip from a general manager not involved in the Ngakoue talks, indicating that the Jags were close to shipping Ngakoue out of town, destination unknown,” Lombardi wrote on Tuesday. “He thought it might be the Jets (they have denied involvement for whatever that means), or the Raiders, or any of the other teams that need an excellent pass rusher. The one thing my source knew for sure was that Ngakoue was on the move, and it would happen soon.”
An NFL Network report (insider Ian Rapoport) confirmed that the Raiders are monitoring Ngakoue’s status and it’s worth noting that no other team has been reputably linked to a trade for Ngakoue.
At least not recently.
Are the Raiders even bidding against anyone for Ngakoue?
According to Lombardi, Ngakoue is committed to holding out until the 10th week of the regular season and the Jaguars are absolutely in the process of settling on a trade that “must happen soon.”
So stay tuned.
Lombardi has a spotty track record when it comes to insider reports, but that doesn’t mean he’s entirely wrong on Ngakoue. There are many who believe he’s going to end up traded… and that it’s just a matter of when it’s going to happen.
twitter: @raidersbeat
Get him!
The Raiders need Yannick more than ever now because Marcus Mariotta, in practice thus far, is starting to look just like what he is, a bust. Derek Carr is looking just like what he always has been, a second tier QB and Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden passed on the chance to get a former MVP QB in Cam Newton. That defense is going to need to carry this team when it has to resort to Nathan Peterman after Derek Carr does his usual, puts up statistical numbers while the Raiders accumulate losses. This type of situation is what has occurred for the Raiders, over the past two years, with Jon Gruden at the helm, with excuses galore. Please sign Anthony Gordon off of the Seattle Seahawks’ practice squad because Derek Carr, Marcus Mariotta and Nathan Peterman ARE NOT the future of the Las Vegas Raiders and management knows it. By acquiring Yannick, this will not be the first, and surely won’t be the last, team to field a promising defense while trying to resolve it’s inept QB situation. See the Chicago Bears.
Lombardi is an idiot!!!