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Reasons Las Vegas Raiders should be 2022 trade deadline buyers, not sellers

By Mario O. Tovar

HENDERSON, NEVADA - JULY 27: General manager Dave Ziegler (L) and owner and managing general partner Mark Davis of the Las Vegas Raiders look on during the team's first fully padded practice during training camp at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center on July 27, 2022 in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
HENDERSON, NEVADA - JULY 27: General manager Dave Ziegler (L) and owner and managing general partner Mark Davis of the Las Vegas Raiders look on during the team's first fully padded practice during training camp at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center on July 27, 2022 in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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HENDERSON, NEVADA – JULY 27: General manager Dave Ziegler (L) and owner and managing general partner Mark Davis of the Las Vegas Raiders looks on during the team’s first fully padded practice during training camp at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center on July 27, 2022, in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
HENDERSON, NEVADA – JULY 27: General manager Dave Ziegler (L) and owner and managing general partner Mark Davis of the Las Vegas Raiders looks on during the team’s first fully padded practice during training camp at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center on July 27, 2022, in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

The NFL trade deadline is inching closer, but the question for Las Vegas Raiders fans is: will their team make a splash?

Earlier this offseason, incoming general manager Dave Ziegler made a splash with a trade for Davante Adams. At that time, he was willing to part ways with a first and second-round pick for the All-Pro wide receiver. Currently sitting at 2-4, Ziegler is in a dicey situation. Should he go all in and acquire a big name via trade?

The other route would be to get help but without giving up prime draft capital. Perhaps he can improve the roster and be a buyer before the deadline but without sacrificing picks that could help out the defense next April.

A deal involving the Raiders would likely involve bringing in defensive help. Even without knowledge of what’s going on at Raiders HQ in Henderson, the defense is what’s holding back the Silver and Black.

They’re not getting any real, consistent pass rush from their interior defensive line, at least not yet. The team’s pass defense is also suspect. They’ve surrendered 13 touchdowns through the air, which is 26th in the NFL. Both Johnathan Abram and Trevon Moehrig are more liabilities than contributors right now.

So, it’s not surprising to hear that Abram could be on his way out. It is too early to give up on Moehrig, for his part, a second-year player who had a solid rookie outing.

By giving up Abram and possibly Clelin Ferrell, the Raiders aren’t necessarily being sellers. Draft capital will be valuable in both helping to finally fill out the roster and also in future deals, as we’ve noticed Ziegler isn’t afraid to move picks around, with his first draft in April as evidence. With that being said, should the Raiders be buyers rather than “sellers”? Yes. But let’s see why I lean toward that direction.

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