With a lack of success comes major offseason changes.
The Las Vegas Raiders are in the midst of such an adjustment right now with a new head coach and general manager for the third straight season. Pete Carroll and John Spytek are in charge now, and as two men who have been highly successful in the NFL, they may do things a bit differently than those who have coached the team before.
Obviously, getting a quarterback is the biggest need for the Raiders, but as they sit at pick No. 6 in the NFL Draft, both of the top players at the position may be chosen by the time they are on the clock. If Las Vegas wants to get either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, it may take some maneuvering up the draft board.
The name of the game for trading up in the draft is giving up capital, and Bleacher Report has so kindly drawn up a handful of trades that could set the Raiders in the right direction. The only problem is that the team would have to give up one of their franchise cornerstones:
Jack Jones could be dealt to the Buffalo Bills: Bleacher Report prediction
Hypothetical Trade We'd Love to See: 2025 sixth-round pick (No. 205 overall) for CB Jack Jones
"Jack Jones is an interesting player. He didn't initially make an impact with the New England Patriots and was ultimately let go before he was picked up by the Raiders in 2023. He ended up being a pivotal part of the Raiders defense down the stretch that helped Antonio Pierce get promoted to head coach. However, this season some of the bloom came off the rose, as he was charged with giving up eight touchdowns in coverage."
"Still, he managed to record three interceptions and 16 passes defended. He clearly has upside, and the Bills need to find some cheap ways to add talent to their cornerback room. Kaiir Elam has been given plenty of chances to earn a more prominent role, and Rasul Douglas is an impending free agent who might be too expensive to retain."
It would not surprise me to see Jones moved this offseason by the Raiders, and a sixth round pick is likely the best return that the team would get. I have said for some time that Jones' fate is tied to Antonio Pierce's, and with Pierce gone, Jones could be on the move too.
With cornerbacks coach Ricky Manning Jr. leaving the team and Nate Hobbs needing a new contract, I could see the new regime going younger and targeting any number of solid cornerback prospects that will be available in the draft. Jones was a good player for the Raiders, but losing him would not hurt as badly as their next prediction.
Maxx Crosby is a major trade target for the Detroit Lions: Bleacher Report prediction
Hypothetical Trade We'd Love to See: 2025 first-round pick (No. 28 overall), 2026 first-round pick, QB Hendon Hooker for EDGE Maxx Crosby, 2025 fifth-round pick (No. 144 overall)
"This one would be fun for a few reasons. For one, the Lions would be pushing their chips to the middle of the table in a major way. They would have a pass-rushing trio of Aidan Hutchinson, Crosby and Za'Darius Smith. The defense is losing its coordinator in Aaron Glenn, so the sheer talent on the defensive line could help new defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard keep things going in the right direction."
"This would be a massive price to pay for Crosby. Two first-round picks and a young quarterback in Hooker, who could wind up being a starter, is not an easy package to give up. However, the move could make the Lions the prohibitive favorite to win the championship next season."
Crosby has been the heart and soul of this Raiders team through unbelievably dark times. He was a leader through the team's transition to Las Vegas and through countless coaching and front office changes; he never missed a beat. But Crosby has also been vocal this offseason about his frustration with his contract situation.
While Spytek has said that you should not let good players leave the building, especially pass rushers, Crosby could want out if he does not see eye-to-eye with the new regime. Obviously, he has not requested a trade and nothing is imminent, but the team could get quite a return for a player of Crosby's caliber.
What makes this trade fun is the fact that the team would not only get a solid quarterback option in Hooker, but they would be equipped to move up in both the 2025 and 2026 drafts for a young player with an additional first-round pick.
Nobody wants to see Crosby go because it would remind fans of Khalil Mack being dealt the first summer that Jon Gruden took over as head coach. But this is the NFL and it is a business; the new tandem of Carroll and Spytek obviously have reverence for Crosby but they did not draft him, and they have not been in the locker room for the past six seasons.