As the Las Vegas Raiders go through organized team activities (OTAs), general manager Dave Ziegler has work to do as well. Following NFL free agency and the 2023 draft, the team still has major needs to address on the defensive side of the ball there is a way to ramp up efforts to fill holes at linebacker and in the secondary before training camp.
After June 1, NFL teams may address some roster issues because of cap-space benefits. For example, the Las Vegas Raiders could’ve saved about $5.8 million if they traded wideout Hunter Renfrow before Thursday, but the club would almost double its savings if they wait until Friday.
Related: 3 free agents the Las Vegas Raiders should target after the 2023 NFL draft
Even if the Raiders decide to keep Renfrow, they can capitalize on another team’s cap-related transactions and decisions. In the coming weeks, clubs will either cut or trade notable players to clear cap room. In a proactive approach, Ziegler should make a few calls to gauge the market.
Who should be on Ziegler’s radar? We’ll take a look at three potential post-June 1 trade targets, why they could be available, and how they fit with the Raiders.
Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen
Let’s start with an acquisition that the Las Vegas Raiders can pull off with just a middle-round draft pick.
Last October, the Baltimore Ravens signed Roquan Smith to a five-year, $100 million extension after they acquired him from the Chicago Bears. In the third round of the 2023 draft, Baltimore selected linebacker Trenton Simpson, who has a chance to start alongside Smith for the long-term future.
Remember, the Ravens drafted Queen for their former defensive coordinator, Don “Wink” Martindale, who joined New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll’s staff last year. They hired Mike Macdonald to replace him, which puts Queen in a tough spot with a Day 2 rookie behind him on the depth chart.
The Ravens might not place Queen on the trade block, but the Raiders should inquire about what it would cost to acquire him because of their glaring need at linebacker. Based on average salaries per year, the San Francisco 49ers are the only team that pays two linebackers more than $8 million each.
Heading into a contract year, Queen will likely want a pay raise in 2024 if he has a solid season, and the Ravens would probably pass on inking him for a lucrative extension with Smith and Simpson on the roster.
In 2022, Queen registered 117 tackles, nine for loss, five sacks, six pass breakups, and two interceptions while allowing an 83.1 passer rating in coverage and zero touchdowns. He would easily become the best linebacker on the Raiders roster on a deal with a manageable $3.9 million cap number for the 2023 campaign.
New York Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams
Leonard Williams hasn’t generated a lot of buzz as a post-June 1 trade candidate, but Ziegler may get an answer from the New York Giants if he makes a call for the versatile defensive lineman.
Growing up, Williams had an affinity for the Las Vegas Raiders, and nine years into his career Williams could still don the silver and black colors and become part of the Las Vegas Raiders’ rich tradition. More importantly, he can add a spark to the defensive line as Tyree Wilson recovers from a foot injury and Chandler Jones goes on the search for the Fountain of Youth in his age-33 campaign.
At 6-5, 302 pounds, Williams can line up in various spots across the defensive line, and he excelled in defensive coordinator Patrick Graham’s system, which features multiple fronts.
Under Graham’s tutelage, Williams recorded 57 tackles, 14 for loss, 11.5 sacks, and 42 pressures in 2020. In the following campaign, he posted solid numbers (81 tackles, five for loss, 6.5 sacks, and 22 pressures), though the Giants’ 23rd-ranked scoring defense struggled as a whole.
Last year, Williams battled knee and neck injuries and missed five games. Before you’re quick to call him injury-prone, he only missed one contest prior to the 2022 season.
If healthy, Williams can make a significant impact on the front line in any down-and-distance situation, but the Giants’ new regime may want to move him because of his $32.3 million cap number. They just signed defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence to a four-year, $87.5 million extension.
Of course, Ziegler wouldn’t want to pay Williams’ bloated salary either, but if the Giants’ defensive lineman agrees to rework his contract and play under a coordinator who brought out the best in him, then the Las Vegas Raiders could make a trade that works for all parties. Turning 29 years old in June, he’s worth a look as a good fit for Graham’s scheme.
Tennessee Titans safety Kevin Byard
While Kevin Byard seems like a longshot option, he may be on the outs with his team.
According to NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe, the Tennessee Titans asked Byard to take a pay cut, and he refused it. Now, new Titans general manager Ran Carthon has to make a tough decision—keep Byard at a $19.6 million cap number, shop him on the trade block, or release him outright.
The Titans would probably prefer to acquire a player or draft capital in exchange for Byard rather than cut the two-time All-Pro for cap space. If so, the Raiders should be a team that shows interest in a deal.
Because Byard doesn’t want to take a pay cut, the Las Vegas Raiders must trade a player to absorb his contract and perhaps rework the financial details in the deal to make it work for him (salary) and the team (cap space). Remember, a good front office can manipulate its cap resources.
Ziegler should consider swapping Renfrow for Byard. Yes, Renfrow is a Las Vegas Raiders fan favorite, but the team will likely reduce his role going forward.
This offseason, Vegas added three players who have played a lot of snaps in the slot, signing Jakobi Meyers to a three-year, $33 million contract, adding DeAndre Carter, who’s coming off his best year as a receiver with 46 catches for 538 yards and three touchdowns, and selecting Tre Tucker in the third round of the draft.
For the 2023 season, Renfrow has a $13.1 million cap number, but the Raiders can save $11.3 million if they trade him after June 1, per Over the Cap.
Instead of using Renfrow in a limited role at that price number, Ziegler can package him in a deal to acquire one of the league’s top ball hawks.
Over the previous two seasons, Byard has recorded nine interceptions. He would join Tre’von Moehrig, Marcus Epps, and rookie fifth-rounder Chris Smith II to form a solid mix of veteran and young safeties.
Meanwhile, Renfrow would be the best wideout on the Titans’ roster. The trade can work out for both sides, allowing the Titans and Las Vegas Raiders to make better use of their cap space.
Maurice Moton covers the Raiders for Sportsnaut. You can follow him on Twitter at @MoeMoton.