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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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Feb 3, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; An image of newly hired Las Vegas Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

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

The Raiders can afford to be buyers

The Raiders shipped off run defense stalwart Johnathan Hankins this week in exchange for more draft capital. In his place, you can expect more playing time for Neil Farrell and Matthew Butler. You could argue Ziegler is rebuilding that defensive line from the inside out with this latest move.

At the same time, Raider Nation is hoping the GM pulls the trigger on a defensive tackle. The problem is, sacrificing picks for a short-term fix would be a delicate matter.

Take a look at the Robert Quinn trade from yesterday. The Philadelphia Eagles gave up a fourth-round selection for the stout pass rusher. The Eagles are in the lucky position to have a plethora of picks, but so are the Raiders.

Would anyone be upset if Ziegler flipped, say, a fourth and fifth-round pick for a player? Would a rookie have the same impact as Daron Payne? More importantly, would the gamble pay off right now versus a player that will “potentially” work out?

As far as Payne goes, the answer is yes. He alone has 3.5 sacks and 12 recorded pressures. That’s an instant improvement over what any of those picks would contribute to their rookie seasons next year. It’s all about big-picture thinking with Ziegler.

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