The Las Vegas Raiders desperately need help at the cornerback position, and here, we look at three possible trade scenarios with the Philadelphia Eagles.
As is the case every offseason for the Raiders franchise, the cornerback position is one of need going into free agency and the NFL Draft. Over the past few years, Las Vegas has used both prime draft capital, and free agency money on the position group, but very few of those swings have been hits.
Recently, the Philadelphia Eagles made it known that Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay would be allowed to seek a trade. If the Raiders were smart, they would take a shot at Slay, who could fill a major need within a secondary that was roasted at times last season.
The Silver and Black play in a division that is loaded with quarterback talent, as Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert are two of the best in the game, and Russell Wilson should be better with Sean Payton as his head coach. Slay is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, and Las Vegas has not had that kind of talent in the position group since Nnamdi Asomugha, who coincidentally, left the franchise for the Eagles.
Here, we look at three trades Las Vegas could make for Slay.
Las Vegas Raiders land Pro Bowl CB Darius Slay: 3 trade proposals
Looking at the Raiders roster, the hope is that Nate Hobbs can take a step forward after taking a step backward last season. Hobbs had an outstanding rookie season in 2021, but the change in scheme and the NFL catching on to him a bit limited his play in 2022, and he was a liability at times.
Still, he is penciled in as a starter next season, and the hope is that the team can bring back Rock Ya-Sin in free agency this offseason. Adding Slay would give the team three solid cornerbacks going into 2023, allowing them to shift the focus on other areas of the defense, as all three levels need to be upgraded this off-season.
Las Vegas should not give up a 2023 second-round pick to the Eagles due to how high it is, but if they can get Slay for next year’s second round, that would be a stroke of genius for Ziegler and his staff. You never know how good Las Vegas will be next year, so the 2024 second-round pick could be much later than this year’s selection is, and that scenario benefits the Silver and Black.
Las Vegas Raiders land Pro Bowl CB Darius Slay: 3 trade proposals
Like the Raiders, the Philadelphia Eagles have a big need at the defensive tackle spot, one they could fill via free agency, or the NFL Draft this offseason. However, in our second trade scenario, we send them some help at the position group in Bilal Nichols, who was a mainstay for the Raiders’ defensive line last season.
Nichols was brought in to anchor the interior of the Raiders’ defensive front last offseason, but the position group ended up being a carousel of players. Despite using free agency money, and draft capital on the position, the Raiders seem to be hitting the reset button at the spot again this offseason, so moving on from Nichols makes sense.
In return for the services of Slay, the Raiders not only send away Nichols, but also a fourth-round pick in 2023, the No. 109 overall selection. Las Vegas has a lot of draft capital between the fourth and fifth rounds this April, and adding one of them to this deal could be enough to put it over the top.
Las Vegas Raiders land Pro Bowl CB Darius Slay: 3 trade proposals
Our final scenario sends a young safety to the Philadelphia Eagles, along with a draft pick to the City of Brotherly Love for Slay’s services. As a rookie, Trevon Moehrig was seen as a potential Pro Bowl player, but like Nate Hobbs, he struggled in Year 2 under new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.
Philadelphia is going to see a major shakeup in the defensive backfield this offseason, as not only are they planning to lose James Bradberry in free agency, and possibly slay to a trade, but safety CJ Gardner-Johnson could be on his way out as well. Moehrig would be a player that could come in and fill the void left by Gardner-Johnson, and hopefully, for Philadelphia, look more like the player he was back in 2021.
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The pick that is going along with Moehrig in this scenario is a comp pick for the Raiders, as they now hold three fifth-round picks this April. While it would not be ideal to see such a young and promising player leave, the return they get in Slay would be worth it, especially for a Raiders team looking to win now in 2023.