Raiders and New England Patriots: Trade No. 1
Remember, ESPN’s Mike Reiss suggested that the Patriots would send a late-round pick for Mariota, so the Raiders aren’t likely to receive a second-rounder or an All-Pro caliber player such as cornerback Stephon Gilmore in a straight-up trade scenario.
If New England isn’t thrilled about re-signing Cam Newton or adding impending free agents Andy Dalton or Mitchell Trubisky, general manager Mike Mayock may have a shot at a fourth-rounder because of limited options later in the offseason. The Patriots don’t have a third-round pick this year.
In this deal, the Raiders would be happy to dump Mariota’s approximate $11.4 million cap number, which has a $7.5 million escalator clause, per ESPN’s John Keim:
MM is signed through 2021. He qualifies for a bump b/c he met the threshold in '20 to activate the clauses: playing at least 60 percent of the snaps in exactly 1 game. Therefore, if he plays 60 percent of the snaps in 12 games this season, he’ll make an extra $7.5 million.
— John Keim (@john_keim) February 16, 2021
Vegas has a much cheaper backup quarterback option in Nathan Peterman, who signed a new deal worth up to about $2.8 million. He’s clearly a lesser talent compared to Mariota, but the Raiders need some cap space, so they can spend money on their bottom-tier defense.
This scenario doesn’t spark any fireworks, but it’s probably the closest to the actual result if these clubs agree on a trade.
The Raiders may even have to toss in a late-round selection this year or in 2022 if they don’t receive competitive offers for Mariota. Keep in mind he’s only played eight games over the last two years and battled injuries as a full-time starter with the Tennessee Titans. That absolutely matters.