The Las Vegas Raiders are no longer rebuilding; that much is clear with Pete Carroll in charge. The Raiders want to be competitive this year, and that’s why they’ve made moves like acquiring Geno Smith and Ashton Jeanty.
They believe they will be a playoff team this year and are acting accordingly. They have a clear vision of what they want to be this season, and Carroll should be able to raise the floor of this roster. That means fans should be prepared for the Raiders to continue to make aggressive moves in 2025.
With several superstar pass rushers available, don’t rule out the possibility of the Raiders acquiring another big-name player ahead of Week 1. The most likely option of the players available could be Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Bengals star Trey Hendrickson could be a trade target for Raiders
Hendrickson is one of the league’s top pass rushers after leading the league in sacks during the 2024 season with 17.5. He’s posted back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons and has been near the top of every pass-rush metric over the last three years.
However, with just one year left on his current deal, Hendrickson has been in the middle of a hold-in with the Bengals. Cincinnati has allowed Hendrickson to explore trade options, but nothing has progressed right now.
Sports Illustrated's Hondo Carpenter believes that the Raiders are the frontrunners to acquire Hendrickson based on what an anonymous NFL executive told him, but a move on this front seems extremely unlikely.
According to The Athletic, the Bengals are seeking a first-round pick and a player in return for Hendrickson, so it’s easy to see why a deal hasn’t happened yet. There is no doubt that Hendrickson is worth a first-round pick, but teams don’t typically give away premier draft capital for non-quarterbacks in their 30s.
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The Raiders could be an option for Hendrickson if the Bengals were to lower their asking price. The idea of pairing Hendrickson with Maxx Crosby makes a lot of sense in theory, and it would allow Tyree Wilson to play more snaps inside, where he has shown promise this preseason.
Las Vegas has a lot of issues in its secondary, however. While building up the pass rush with two superstar EDGE rushers would take a lot of pressure off the back end of the defense, perhaps the Raiders' resources are best utilized at more of a position of need.
It’s probably not a wise decision to pay two pass rushers that much money and give away future draft capital. The Raiders clearly want to win, and they want to do so right now, but they are also building for the future at the same time. This is just too bold a move for a franchise that isn’t close enough to winning a championship.