Las Vegas Raiders reportedly rejected first round trade with Buccaneers

The Las Vegas Raiders reportedly rejected a trade offer from the Buccaneers to move down in the first round from 12th to 14th

The Las Vegas Raiders had two first round picks thanks to the Khalil Mack trade and there were rumors swirling that they were hoping to use one of them to trade down and add to their seven total picks. A report from NBC’s Peter King claims they had an offer from the Buccaneers to trade down from 12 to 14 but did not accept the deal.

King, in a piece for NBC Sports,  joined Buccaneers GM Jason Licht to experience the first ever all-virtual draft and there are some fascinating nuggets that he was given the green light to share. Licht tells King that with his eyes on pick 12 to select OT Tristan Wirfs he calls Mike Mayock to offer “the three and four and getting back their three. (Tampa trading 14, 76 and 117 and getting 12 and 81 back.)”

The Bucs eventually settle and offer a pick swap in the first and third, and a fourth and sixth rounder. The Raiders reject the deal and Licht decides to increase the offer as he is concerned the 49ers will snatch Wirfs from right under their noses. As quoted in the piece, Licht offers the following:

"[Licht] calls Mayock and offers three, five and six while getting a three back. “Okay. Okay. Thanks Mike.” Licht hangs up and tells the Cisco group: “Doesn’t matter what we offer. They’re staying.” You can sense the disbelief. Later, Licht said: “Everybody was looking at each other on the videoconference, kind of putting their hands up, like, I don’t know what the hell’s going on here. Nobody wants to give us their pick. I was getting a little bit antsy, I should say.”"

So to summarize, the Buccaneers offered the Raiders a pick swap in rounds 1 and 3 and a fourth and sixth round pick just to move down two slots from 12 to 14. It almost seems like a no-brainer to make that move but the Raiders were justifiably worried that the 49ers, who also needed a WR, would target Henry Ruggs III.

Both the Bucs and Raiders were off the mark as to San Francisco’s intentions because they selected DT Javon Kinlaw but perhaps they would have taken Ruggs if they had the chance.

This exchange gives us further insight in to the high stakes poker game that is the NFL Draft and the lengths teams will go to make sure they get their guy. The Buccaneers were willing to give up two late picks and move down in the third round just to leapfrog the 49ers to select Wirfs and the Raiders were willing to stand pat to make sure they got Ruggs.

The Buccaneers still ended up drafting Wirfs and the 49ers got their next starting LT in a trade for Trent Williams and of course the Raiders selected Ruggs so everyone got exactly what they wanted. Time will only tell if Ruggs was worth the selection and the rejection of the additional picks but Raider Nation should be excited that Mayock and Jon Gruden had so much faith in the selection.