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Oakland Raiders: 6 potential trades to improve the 2019 roster

By Daniel Davis

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 09: Head coach Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders looks on during the warm up before the game against the Denver Broncos at RingCentral Coliseum on September 09, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 09: Head coach Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders looks on during the warm up before the game against the Denver Broncos at RingCentral Coliseum on September 09, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 15: Running back Malcolm Brown #34 of the Los Angeles Rams is tackled with the ball by outside linebacker A.J. Klein #53 and defensive end Mario Edwards #97 of the New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 15, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 15: Running back Malcolm Brown #34 of the Los Angeles Rams is tackled with the ball by outside linebacker A.J. Klein #53 and defensive end Mario Edwards #97 of the New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 15, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images) /

A.J. Klein, a 27-year-old linebacker is a solid starter for the New Orleans Saints, who are in cap space hell right now. The contract Klein is under is manageable with only $6 million due and $2 million in guaranteed money.

Heading into the 2019 season, the Saints defense hasn’t been stellar, but neither has Klein. He doesn’t record a lot of sacks, but he’s a 27-year-old with three years starting experience. For a late-round draft pick, you can’t get any better at the linebacker position for the price.

Klein lacks a lot of veteran experience, but he has skills to help the Raiders win games. The linebacker position was a question for me this season when the Raiders announced they’d be going into the season with four at the position, with only one middle linebacker in Vontaze Burfict.

The Saints have ranked in the top-15 defenses in the past two years and held the Dallas Cowboys, who were averaging 28 points a game, to less than 20 last week.

I watched some film on him and saw his strengths and weaknesses. He’s not super fast, but he’s very smart. He sees the plays happening before they do and he knows which gaps to rush.

He’s also a patient defender which most defensive players lack. He allows the ball-runner to come to him instead of over pursuing which feels more natural when playing. Klein isn’t Vontaze, but he would be a solid addition at a very low price.

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