3 trades Raiders should make before Week 1
- A veteran CB
- A multi-talented weapon
- A 2-time All Pro
By Ryan Heckman
As the Las Vegas Raiders near Week 1 of the regular season, rosters are going to be in flux and trade rumors will abound.
For Las Vegas to compete this year, they're going to have to make another move or two. It is tough sledding in the AFC West, going up against the likes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers, assuming both clubs are healthy.
Before the regular season kicks off, let's look at three potential trades Las Vegas might be able to make happen.
Trade Number 1: The Raiders deal for cornerback depth
This first one is actually a trade suggested via Bleacher Report, and it makes a ton of sense. The Raiders do not have a lot of depth at cornerback, in terms of trusted veterans at least. At the moment, Las Vegas is projected to start veteran Marcus Peters and rookie fourth-round pick Jakorian Bennett.
If not Bennett, then Duke Shelley is a possibility. Regardless, the Steelers did do some work in their secondary this offseason and could look to part with veteran Akhello Witherspoon. If that opportunity arises, the Raiders should take the plunge on a low-risk deal like this.
Witherspoon has experience as a starter and actually played pretty well last season for the Steelers. As B/R pointed out, he has been affected by injuries which held him back from playing all of last season, so the Raiders would want to be cautious in that respect. But, Witherspoon is a solid veteran addition who could actually come in and potentially start immediately, or at least until Bennett seemed fully ready to take over.