It was always a long shot, but ESPN’s Rich Cimini says the word at the owner’s meetings last week was a tag-and-trade scenario for Muhammad Wilkerson will be next to impossible. Most teams perceive the cost to be too great – that cost will presumably be a top draft pick (or picks) for the opportunity to spend around $50 million in guaranteed money. That’s a huge commitment for any player and it doesn’t help that Wilkerson is currently sidelined with a broken leg.
As it relates to the Raiders, Reggie McKenzie values draft picks as much as any general manager in the league. The chances are slim (or none) that he’d cough up a high pick for Wilkerson. With that in mind, the Jets aren’t set at quarterback and the Raiders potentially have a bargaining chip in Matt McGloin. McKenzie values McGloin (they placed a second-round tender on him in March), but it’s anyone’s guess what the Jets think of the Raiders 26 year-old backup who grew up just a couple hours from MetLife Stadium.
Another problem with any deal is that Wilkerson and McGloin should both be available in free agency next year. In theory, the Raiders could sign Wilkerson after the season and New York could do the same with McGloin if they were, in fact, interested.
Unless the Jets actually want to lose Wilkerson (and what team wants to lose a star?), their best bet is to clear cap room by some other means, let Wilkerson play out his final year in New York, and potentially receive a high compensatory pick the following year – and somewhere in the process re-sign Ryan Fitzpatrick.
So while Wilkerson may be lobbying to be traded to Oakland, it may soon be time to give up the dream. If he hasn’t been traded by the second day of the draft, Wilkerson and his super human wingspan will have to make peace with a one-year, $15.7 million deal in New York.
Twitter: @raidersbeat
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