The Las Vegas Raiders have had a successful offseason. They hired a credible head coach in Pete Carroll, landed a solid upgrade at quarterback with Geno Smith and running back Ashton Jeanty headlines what looks to be a very promising draft class.
But it takes more than one offseason to upgrade every area on a roster like the one the previous Raiders' regimes have left behind. The wide receiver corps is led by the solid, reliable and perpetually underrated Jakobi Meyers, but he's not what anyone would call a true No. 1 wideout.
That piece of the offense is missing right now, left to potentially be addressed next offseason barring something unforeseen. However, trade scenarios involving players who seem to be on the way out or are openly disgruntled are easy to offer up at this point in the offseason, realistic or otherwise.
Trade idea gives Raiders final piece to load up offense around Geno Smith
David Helman of FOX Sports proposed one perfect landing spot for several notable players who skipped their team's mandatoryminicamp. Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin is entering the final year of his contract, and he made his unhappiness clear via his absence.
So, he was an obvious inclusion on Helman's list, with the Raiders tabbed as the perfect fit. Helman started his analysis by making it clear he's confident McLaurin will remain a Commander, and how it makes no sense for Washington to not extend him. But the idea of him being a Raider is interesting.
"If I’m dreaming up a perfect landing spot for McLaurin, Vegas really sounds fun," Helman wrote. "Talk about a big swing for a team that hasn’t had a lot to get excited about. The Raiders are already in decent shape for Geno Smith’s first season. Brock Bowers is a star, and Ashton Jeanty should be one soon. Jakobi Meyers is a solid receiver, but Vegas still needs to upgrade its receiver room. Rather than take your chances in the draft, why not ship a pick or two to Washington and lock in McLaurin for the rest of his prime? Make fun of me if you want, but a Raiders skill group of McLaurin, Bowers, Jeanty and Meyers might be the best in the AFC West."
Beyond the idea of giving McLaurin the contract he seeks, with an apparent floor of $30 million per year, the Raiders would also have to consider what they would need to give up to get McLaurin.
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On the idea of McLaurin possibly being available via trade, Mitch Milani of Bleacher Report recently included the Raiders on his list of potential landing spots as well. His proposed trade package to bring the two-time Pro Bowler to Las Vegas looks like this:
Even accounting for the inevitable contract extension, a second-round pick and a fourth-round pick seems like a very reasonable cost to get a player of McLaurin's caliber. As far as personality, he seems to fit the culture that Carroll is building as well.
Any hypothetical pursuit of McLaurin will be fruitless if the Commanders take care of business and extend him as they should. But there's a faint idea out there that the Raiders won't have to wait to add the final piece of their offensive puzzle.
If they feel compelled to check in on McLaurin, nothing would stop general manager John Spytek from making a call.