Raiders Are Going To Add A Big Name At Wide Receiver, But Who Will It Be?

Every offseason is critical, but few have been more important that the one facing the Raiders in the coming months. With so many holes on the roster and such a great surplus of salary cap room and draft capital, 2019 will be a pivotal year for Jon Gruden and his merry men.

There’s no telling what Gruden and his new hand-picked general manager might have in store, but you can be sure of one thing. The Raiders will be aggressive in finding wide receivers. Gruden will add one big-name wide receiver this offseason and more than likely he’ll bring in two.

As far as free agency goes, there isn’t a lot to like about the wide receiver market. Larry Fitzgerald is the headliner of the free agent class and he will be 36 years-old when the season begins. The rest of the list consists of players like Golden Tate, Randall Cobb, and Donte Moncrief – none of whom are going to turn the Raiders around on short notice. Maybe Gruden will find a complementary piece in free agency, but his path to overhauling the wide receiver room will surely come via a blockbuster trade or two.

The obvious trade option is Antonio Brown, who can’t seem to get along with Ben Roethlisberger and with the emergence of JuJu Smith-Schuster, there’s no question the Steelers are willing to move on from Brown. It wouldn’t be a surprise at all if the Raiders sent their latest first-round pick to the Steelers for Brown. In Gruden’s eyes he would have gotten a top-five wide receiver and a 2020 first-round pick for Khalil Mack – and that’s a deal that might be a little more palatable for the organization (and fans).

Oh, and Gruden is known to have been particularly fond of Brown…

Here's what Jon Gruden said about Antonio Brown: `If you get a chance to watch him practice, you’ll see what unlocks the greatness in him. Hardest working player I’ve ever seen practice. I’ve seen Jerry Rice, I’ve seen a lot of good ones, but I put Antonio Brown at the top. '

— Jerry McDonald (@Jerrymcd) January 5, 2019

The next best trade option isn’t a name anyone has been talking about, but with A.J. Green entering the final year of his contract in 2019, would the Bengals consider getting something now for him in a trade? Green would probably come cheaper than Brown and he might just be a better fit for Derek Carr. At 6’4, Green has made a career of running past and jumping over defenders. Carr has been at his best throwing to taller receivers and Green checks that box as well as anyone Gruden might be considering.

Another potential trade target is a bit of a wild card. With the emergence of Calvin Ridley in Atlanta, what would the Falcons take for Mohamed Sanu? Six million dollars is a lot to pay a third receiver, but the Raiders can’t exactly cut corners with their wide receiver options moving forward. Who knows what Gruden thinks of him, but Sanu is one of the underrated wide receivers in the league and can make plays after the catch, which is something the Raiders desperately need. When was the last time a wide receiver in Oakland took more yards after the catch than what the defense was giving?

So who’s it going to be?

Smart money has to be on Brown. It just seems too easy. He is probably going to be too good for Gruden to resist. For what it’s worth, Carr and Gruden both seem to have a good relationship with Brown, too.

So go get it done, Jon. And if you can get one of the big-time wideouts in silver and black without giving up a first-round pick, that’ll be even more impressive.

twitter: @raidersbeat