Atlanta Falcons Potential Raiders Trade Partner

Feb 3, 2015; Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons new head coach Dan Quinn answers questions during a press conference at the Falcons Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

When it comes to first round trades on draft day it usually takes a team desperate to trade up to initiate the action, something that happens more often than not as trades have been quite common in the last decade of drafts. 2014 seeing the Buffalo Bills jump into the top five and 2013 seeing the Miami Dolphins jump into the third overall selection as recent instances of teams paying the price to slide into the top selections of the first round.

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The Oakland Raiders were part of that 2013 trade, getting a package of picks to move down to Miami’s spot two years ago. Getting a player they were targeting all along in DJ Hayden while getting value by the way of extra picks outside of the first round. A deal that hasn’t made the Raiders rebuild go by quicker, but did give the team value in a position in which they had DJ Hayden high on their draft boards and knew they could get the cornerback if they slid down outside of the Top 10.

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This year the Raiders will once again be inside of the Top 5, and if they want to trade down they may have several partners depending how things shake out by the time they are on the clock with the fourth overall selection. Teams eyeing Marcus Mariota, Amari Cooper and Leonard Williams enough that they may be willing to trade down. Something Reggie McKenzie has shown he is willing to discuss and pull the trigger on based on the aforementioned 2o13 deal with Miami.

The Atlanta Falcons are a team to watch for such a deal as NFL Network’s Albert Breer mentioned on Tuesday that the NFC South team may be willing to do business to jump inside of the Top 5. Oakland being a potential willing trade partner if the Falcons are interested at the right price for McKenzie to swap picks with Atlanta.

If the Raiders were to swap with Atlanta it would only see Oakland drop four spots to the eighth overall selection, something that would keep them in the market for an impact player in the Top 10, but would also see them get less compensation based on trade value. It would be up to the two front offices to decide, but if the Falcons want an impact defensive prospect badly enough, the phones could be working before the Raiders decide on whether or not they want to pick at four on Thursday. Time will tell, but expect the Falcons to be attempting some moves with all of the teams in front of them, including Oakland.