Las Vegas Raiders trading away star TE Darren Waller
By Brad Weiss
In another shocking turn for the Las Vegas Raiders, the franchise is parting ways with star tight end Darren Waller for a third round pick.
The 2023 offseason was supposed to be one that added elite talent for the Las Vegas Raiders, especially with so much cap space and prime draft capital. Instead, it has been very underwhelming to start, and on Tuesday, took a shocking turn in the wrong direction.
As Raider Nation prepared for the hopeful arrival of some elite defensive talent, it was a current star for the team that was shown the door by general manager David Ziegler. The Raiders traded away Darren Waller to the New York Giants for the No. 100 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, a pick New York got from Kansas City in the Kadarius Toney trade.
Now, with Foster Moreau set to hit free agency, Las Vegas has another gaping hole on their roster to fill. We knew changes were coming with this new regime, and after not even a calendar year at the helm, Ziegler has begun to strip down any memories of the Jon Gruden-Mike Mayock era.
Waller was outstanding during his time in the Silver and Black, catching 286 passes for 3,469 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also holds the record for most catches in a season after hauling in 107 balls back in 2020.
Raiders now hold 12 picks in the 2023 NFL Draft
With the trade of Waller, Las Vegas now holds 12 overall picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, including four within the top-100 selections. That is some great draft capital, but as we have seen from this franchise for years, they do not typically capitalize on it.
Ziegler and his staff come from New England so it makes sense that they would clean house and try to fix all the losing that has come from this franchise in the last 20 years. However, moving on from Waller could end up being a huge mistake, especially after passing up on a second-round pick for him during the 2022 NFL season.