It's been a bold offseason for the Raiders.
It's hard to blame them – nothing (in theory, at least) lights a fire under a team like winning two (2) games all season, and the Lions were probably starting to looking awfully tempting to Maxx Crosby.
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Then, suddenly, things got extremely real: they hired Pete Carroll and John Spytek, who turned around and gave Crosby one of the biggest non-QB contract extensions in league history before trading for Geno Smith. It's been as busy an offseason as you could imagine in Vegas, and you wouldn't blame them for heading into the draft weekend without any major shakeups on the agenda.
BUT. On the other hand, what if they did want to go into draft weekend with a major shakeup or two on the agenda? That's more fun to think about. There's got to be a few big name players left on the Raiders' radar. Maybe someone like, I dunno, Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey? Because according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Ramsey is extremely available to any team that'd want to trade for him.
Pete Carroll and Jalen Ramsey could be a slam dunk for the Raiders' defense
"The Dolphins and seven-time Pro Bowl CB Jalen Ramsey are mutually set to explore trade options and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he played elsewhere in 2025, per me and Tom Pelissero," he tweeted on Tuesday morning. "Miami and Ramsey, due $25.1M fully guaranteed this season, could be parting ways."
Granted, there are plenty of legimate concerns about Ramsey at this point in his career. He's about to be on the wrong side of 30, which is typically not a great moment for cornerbacks. He's also owed a boatload of money over the next three years, though it's not like the Raiders couldn't 1. afford it and 2. figure out a clever way to work around it. That's why Spytek gets paid the big bucks.
More importantly: Jalen Ramsey in Pete Carroll's scheme is intoxicating to think about. Jalen Ramsey in a black-and-silver Raiders jersey is also a fun daydream. The Raiders' secondary could certainly use the help – Ramsey and an early-round cornerback is the type of overnight overhaul that would elevate their defense into that 'sneaky-good' territory.
A trade that's bold, somewhat schematically logical, and a PR home run? Make the call, Pete.