The Las Vegas Raiders have reportedly been active in recent days on the trade market looking to fill the spot of a top player they recently parted ways with.
The start of the 2023 NFL season has not at all gone the way the Las Vegas Raiders were hoping. After opening their campaign with a 17-16 victory over rivals the Denver Broncos, the team has hit a three-game slump and is quickly falling down the NFL standings.
The offense has taken a lot of the heat for their shortcomings this season due to head coach Josh McDaniels not living up to his reputation as an offensive guru despite having Pro Bowlers like Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs, along with a proven quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo on the roster.
Las Vegas Raiders pursuing pass rusher on trade market
However, the Raiders defense has been just as ineffective this season. Aside from limiting a struggling Broncos team to 16 in Week 1, they are near the bottom on the NFL stats list for defense after giving up 23 or more to the Bills, Steelers, and Chargers. Part of the reason is not having star pass rusher Chandler Jones on the team this season due to an apparent mental decline that led to his sad release last week.
Unsurprisingly, they are looking to fill that hole and giving incumbent pass-rushing ace Maxx Crosby some help. On Sunday morning, The Athletic’s NFL insider Dianna Rusinni reported “The Raiders have been busy making calls around the league looking for a pass rusher since releasing Chandler Jones. They are looking for a player-for-player swap and may not want to give up too much.”
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The 2023 NFL trade deadline is on Oct. 31, so the team may wait a few more weeks before making a deal when the market for trades should be stronger. Teams like the Giants, Bears, Broncos, and Cardinals may make some of their better pass rushers available then.