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Why the Raiders should not trade for NaVorro Bowman

By Gagan Aujla

Dec 20, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman (53) celebrates after the 49ers recovered an onside kick during the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the San Francisco 49ers 24-14. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 20, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman (53) celebrates after the 49ers recovered an onside kick during the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the San Francisco 49ers 24-14. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Oakland Raiders still have a void at inside linebacker, but that does not mean they should trade for NaVorro Bowman.

Going into the 2017 NFL offseason, the Oakland Raiders were in dire needs of help at several positions, especially on the defensive side of the ball. One position, in particular, was the weakest point of the defense, and that was inside linebacker.

In 2016, the Raiders played musical chairs at the inside linebacker position, with the likes of Ben Heeney, Cory James, Malcolm Smith and Perry Riley Jr. all getting a crack at the starting job. Either due to injury or due to the poor performance of another player. Out of the four, Riley seemed to be the most competent, but for the most part he was looked at as an average starter who could make plays from time to time.

With the 2017 regular season kicking off in a little less than four months, the Raiders still face uncertainty at inside linebacker. Heeney is coming off of a season ending injury, James is entering only his second year in the league, Smith has signed elsewhere, Riley is still a free agent, and although some outlooks  may be positive, rookie Marquel Lee still has to prove himself and work his way into earning playing time.

One possible solution is NaVorro Bowman, who recently popped up in trade rumors. From that moment, many in Raider Nation have called for Reggie McKenzie to get that deal done and finally solidify the inside linebacker spot.

However, despite all of this uncertainty, it does not make much sense for the Raiders to trade for Bowman. First, let’s take a look at Bowman’s contract and how big of a cap hit it would be to have him on the Raiders roster.

Bowman signed a four-year, $42 million extension in August of 2016. This puts him under contract through the 2022 season, but he would be 34 years old at the end of the deal, and paid quite handsomely at the end of his career.

Per Spotrac, in 2017, Bowman is slated to have a cap hit of $9.5 million and then a cap hit of $11.9 million in 2018. That is way too rich for the Raiders at this moment, considering the pending extensions of Derek Carr, Gabe Jackson and Khalil Mack within the next two offseasons.

Locking up these core players should be much more of a priority than trading for a veteran linebacker with a cap heavy contract.

Another reason why trading for Bowman would be foolish is because of the trade compensation that would be required to get him. The 49ers are in full rebuild mode, and are looking for as many draft picks as possible as a result. McKenzie loves his draft picks, particularly the higher ones. So it’s difficult to see the two sides coming to an agreement, particularly if the Niners asking price is unreasonable.

Going back to the upcoming extensions of Carr, Jackson and Mack, the Raiders will need those draft picks to supplement the roster with talent, as the Raiders will not be players in free agency due to being strapped for cap space. Rookie contracts are a great value for NFL teams, while also strengthening the depth of the 53-man roster.

Lastly, Bowman’s extensive and severe injury history has to be taken into account. He missed all of 2014 due to rehabbing a torn ACL and MCL, and also more recently, tore an achilles tendon, which ended his year after just four games.

Bowman is still one of the five to ten best linebackers in the NFL, but as harsh as it sounds, he is damaged goods at this point of his career. The better decision would be to roll with the young guns of Cory James and Marquel Lee, who both could develop into quality players, while also being much, much cheaper.

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