They are hard to come by, but the Raiders might be in the trade market for another pass rusher between now and September.
One of the names that seems to come up a lot is Texans’ edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney, but don’t get your hopes up as a Raider fan. There is almost no chance the former first-overall pick is going to end up in Oakland – at least not between now and the end of the season.
By trading for Clowney, the Raiders would get a player that isn’t as good as Khalil Mack and ultimately could command a higher salary.
But that’s not the worst of it.
The deadline for Clowney to sign a long-term deal on the franchise tag passed on July 15. Any team that trades for Clowney now will get an often-injured pass rusher on a one-year, $16 million deal. Clowney will hold all the leverage after the 2019 season and will undoubtedly want to sign with the highest bidder.
In other words, Clowney holds too much leverage. No team will be quick to offer significant compensation in exchange for a player they stand to lose in six months. The Texans would undoubtedly get more for Clowney by trading him after the season when a trade partner could negotiate a new deal in the days leading up to the trade.
So don’t just count out the Raiders. Unless the Texans are motivated to trade him for cheap, no team should be angling for Clowney until after the season.
twitter: @raidersbeat
No plain and simple
Interesting. But firstly, to anyone with Raiders intetest at heart, the Mack thing is sad, but is an outdated, self defeating red herring..if I hear one more person use the selling of Mack as a reason not to go big in a DE. . . Mack may be best rusher in the league..but we can’t have him. Sad but end of. For sake of argument Clowney could be the 10 the best……but we can have him….,
why would anything to do with Mack affect us trying? What do Mack fans want Raiders to do..just go for **** DEs forever in memory of their idol? Mack is not relevant to taking Clowney, or any expensive DE, any more than he was to AB or Trent contracts .So Clowney may cost more than Mack….so what? as long as we can fit him in the cap, what relevance of any kind is Macks salary? It’s relevant to the Bears contracts or dealings, it has nothing whatsoever to do with the Raiders.
More interesting is the issue with Clowney’s tag. I had hoped there was some period where his new employer could have exclusivity. If not then there may be no point, though as KJ is also on his last legs with Raiders, offer him and, say a 3rd???? Or Miller straight up? Combination of all?. Yeah they would be crazy to take it, but who knows… They clearly aren’t a happy camper.
I really feel we have missed a trick this summer on DE, and Clowney is the last (but in many ways the best) ideal solution….they must love the idea of him as a 2nd run stuffing All action DE to mentor Ferrell. Seeing the Texans grab Duke Johnson, Richard would have been one hell of a carrot to dangle……I think with Jacobs and Washington we could have covered his loss. And we could have done this before the more draconian conditions of Clowney’s tender kicked in.
So yes, unlikely, and yes they would have moved earlier if they really wanted him. I love the guy, see huge upside in him, particularly in Guenthers system, downside largely only the leverage he would have in negotiations. And Mack hasn’t entered my head once in coming to those conclusions.
So why even post this story line?
yes if the market is right for it
If the Raiders can get him without giving up much even if 4 only this season then they shud do it. Who cares if he leaves get wat u can from him 4 this season n take a gud run of this. I believe he wud mesh well with players here n clearly he can enhance wat i believe may b a pretty solid defense. Go 4 it Raiders if under rite terms.