Oakland Raiders wise to stay put at the 2019 trade deadline

The Oakland Raiders were rumored to make a move a two at the 2019 NFL trade deadline, but they stayed put, and it was the right thing to do.

Every year at the NFL trade deadline, fans get excited and anxious at the prospect of adding more talent to their team. For the Oakland Raiders, sitting at 3-4, there was certainly some areas they could have targeted in a trade.

Sometimes that excitement can cloud judgment. As I am sure, most Raiders fans are angry at the prospect of not making any trades by the Tuesday deadline, but it was actually a wise decision by the organization.

The NFL trade deadline is usually a time when teams with playoff hopes make panic moves and over pay for talent, while teams with no hope of postseason aspirations are willing to deal almost any meaningful talent. When you consider the big names that were possibly available for trade such as safety Jamal Adams, cornerback Chris Harris Jr, offensive tackle Trent Williams and wide receiver AJ Green, things begin to look a little more clear as to why the Raiders did not make any moves.

Jamal Adams as much as he would have been a great addition to the defense, especially when you consider the Raiders just traded away their No. 1 cornerback Gareon Conley, as well as having allowed the third most passing yards a game this season at 285.3. In hindsight, it was best this move was not made, when you consider that the rumors going around were that the New York Jets were looking for a multitude of picks for the Pro Bow safety, you can see why the Raiders were not buyers.

Sure he would help the defense immensely, but for all that draft compensation, and the fact that he doesn’t play cornerback, this would not have made much sense. Especially when you consider the lack of pressure up front on the quarterback, where the Raiders are ranked 25th overall in sacks.

This defense needs much more then one player to improve.

Chris Harris Jr is a member of the Denver Broncos, and it is unlikely this team would trade an elite cornerback to a division rival. Offensive tackle Trent Williams was not needed, as the Raiders possess one of the best offensive lines in the league.

Wide receiver AJ Green at 31 years old, and is injured, as he has not appeared in a game this season. The Raiders just traded for young receiver Zay Jones a few weeks ago, and while I am not arguing that he is near the caliber of Green, the offense is not the biggest issue for the Raiders at this moment.

For a team that is second in the division, and coming off a very close loss against a tough Houston Texans team on the road, it is not time to hit the panic button on the final season in Oakland. Patience is a virtue, and this Raiders team has proven they can play with anybody this season, so pulling the trigger on a major trade does not make sense in 2019.