The start of NFL free agency has not been for the faint of heart, especially if you're a Las Vegas Raiders fan. The team, under John Spytek, has been highly active.
In short: this has been fun.
The Raiders didn't take long to make fans forget about trading Maxx Crosby, as they've been one of the most active teams in agreeing to terms with free agents thus far. And, it's only just begun. Of course, now Crosby is back in the fold, but these agreements remain in place.
Across the AFC, the Pittsburgh Steelers have made some moves as well. One of them included signing a former running back of Mike McCarthy's, Rico Dowdle, to come in and serve in a two-back tandem with Jaylen Warren.
Why does this matter to the Raiders?
Well, for starters, new head coach Klint Kubiak has a desire to also use a two-back system. And, in signing Dowdle, the Steelers might just have opened the door for another team to take their shot on a trade for second-year pro Kaleb Johnson.
Raiders could be the perfect team to give Kaleb Johnson a fresh start
The Steelers drafted Johnson in the third round last year, only to rarely use him and watch Kenneth Gainwell take over the role many Pittsburgh fans thought he'd have alongside Warren. McCarthy has zero investment in or ties to Johnson, so at this point, maybe it's in everyon'e best interest for a clean break.
For a player like Johnson to fall out of favor in the way he did, last year, should make him available on the cheap.
That's not saying he is available, but if the Raiders wanted to poke and prod, my assumption would be that the Raiders could get him for something along the lines of a sixth-round pick, or even a pick swap.
Funny enough, that's what it took for the Steelers to land wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. in the trade from Indy.
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One more late Day 3 transaction sounds like a nice flier for the Raiders to take the Steelers up on, no?
Coming out of Iowa, Johnson looked like a force. The man was an absolute thumper. His big-bodied, physical running style would pair perfectly with the explosiveness of Ashton Jeanty. Just imagine a back field where Johnson is able to come closer to his ceiling coming out of the draft, along with Jeanty and a revamped offensive line.
Hello, Tyler Linderbaum.
This is all a dream at this point, but with Kubiak wanting to give Jeanty a running mate similar to Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet in Seattle, it's a scenario that makes a ton of sense.
Pittsburgh could cut ties with Johnson and no one would bat an eye within that fan base. Meanwhile, the Raiders and Kubiak's friendly coaching style could be what Johnson needed all along.