With the Los Angeles Chargers looking sharper by the week, Raiders trade rumors 2021 continue to show all over the web, as Mark Davis’ team needs to close the gap if they want to make the playoffs.
Now that the Jon Gruden fiasco is a thing of the past, the Raiders need to look ahead and not allow that to be a distraction. They’ve been fairly good for most of the season and still have a chance to make the playoffs as a Wild Card team, especially given how poorly the Kansas City Chiefs have performed.
Even though Gruden tore apart the roster and gave away some stars in Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper, the Las Vegas Raiders still have a strong, balanced squad. But that doesn’t mean that they couldn’t improve in a couple of aspects, which is why we’re going to take a deeper look at some of the LV Raiders trade deadline news.
Raiders trade rumors 2021
The Las Vegas Raiders currently sit at the top of the AFC West with a 5-2 record. Then again, they still have to face the Chiefs twice, the Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, and Indianapolis Colts before the end of the season.
That means that their current roster ain’t gonna cut it if they look to clinch a playoff spot, and that’s why there are so many Raiders trade rumors 2021. In the following paragraphs, we’ll take a look at some of the most realistic Raiders trade targets.
Tim Settle
We all expected the Washington Football Team to have a strong defense under Ron Rivera but that hasn’t been the case thus far. And with Ryan Fitzpatrick still on Injured Reserve, the WFT might as well turn into sellers as we approach the trade deadline.
Tim Settle hasn’t lived up to the expectations and that’s why he could be on the move.
But in all fairness, he hasn’t had many opportunities to prove his worth. The Raiders could use his skills as a pass rusher and has the potential to make a big difference given his ability to put pressure on the opposing quarterback.
Andrew Billings
The Las Vegas Raiders have vastly struggled against the run this season. Outside of Johnathan Hankins, they lack the personnel to prevent big runs, and that’s where Andrew Billings could come in handy, as he’s got a similar skillset to Hankins’.
Billings hasn’t gotten a lot of playing time with the Cleveland Browns’ revamped defensive unit but the potential is still there.
He could take some pressure off Hankins and relieve him during a couple of snaps, even if he’s not exactly great against the pass. He would provide the kind of depth they need during the upcoming tough stretch of the season.
Jason Kelce
The center position has been the biggest concern for the Las Vegas Raiders this season.
Andre James has vastly underperformed more often than not, and adding a bona fide star such as Jason Kelce might as well be enough to propel them to Super Bowl contention.
Moreover, the Philadelphia Eagles are reportedly looking to offload his contract.
While not as dominant at this stage in his career, Kelce would significantly boost their run-blocking and open up a lot of lanes for their rushing attack.
Also, even if his best years as a pass-protector are far behind him, he’s still a major upgrade over James in that regard as well.
Absorbing his big contract could be complicated, but the Raiders must embrace a win-now mentality and make the most of the Chiefs’ struggles while they can.