September 23, 2012; Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Reggie and the Raiders enter the 2014 NFL Draft with hope and excitement, but also without a 5th round pick. Raiders hold seven picks in the draft, with an extra 7th round pick from the Carson Palmer trade, and their 5th round pick in Seattle for the Matt Flynn trade.
The current Oakland Raiders roster is not exactly filled with High Value players. Reggie McKenzie, has been forced to “Destroy and Rebuild” in Oakland, leading to a roster full of young players and mid-level free agents.
Currently, Oakland’s two best players Lamarr Houston and Jared Veldheer are still waiting on contracts. I’m confident both can get signed, with a philosophy of not losing good players to free agency.
Enter Denarius Moore, a talented if not inconsistent wide receiver, who is one of the few, if not only tradable players on the Oakland Raiders roster.
Denarius Moore, is entering his final year of his rookie contract, with a cap hit of a modest $1,436,513 according to overthecap.com. I do not foresee Reggie offering an extension to Moore this year, and he would hit Free Agency in 2015.
So what is Moore’s value in the trade market?
Referencing the Davone Bess trade between the Browns and Dolphins last year, we can find a comparable example. Davone Bess and Denarius Moore are similar in value, give or take. Bess was more productive, but not as dynamic in Miami.
In the 2012 season, Bess had 61 receptions for 778 yards and one touchdown in 13 games, compared to Denarius Moore who in 2013 had 46 receptions for 695 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games.
In the trade, Miami was able to not only move up in the 4th round, but also obtain a 5th rounder from the Browns. The Browns threw in a 7th rounder to seal the deal.
Acquiring a 5th rounder would be a huge win for Reggie, and is where I see Denarius Moore’s value in the trade market. Some potential trade partners include the Cardinals, Jets, and 49ers. All three could use help at the wide receiver position, and could opt for a veteran over a rookie.
The loss of Moore would be minimal with the emergence of Andre Holmes and Rod Streater, and a draft deep on wide receiver talent. I also do not see a move to the slot as a possibility for Moore, who has shown a lack of toughness and inconsistent hands needed for the slot role.
In a year like no other, moving on from Denarius Moore could be the best move for the overall betterment of the team. Reggie would be smart to find interesting ways of obtaining valuable draft picks, in a deep 2014 draft.