The Las Vegas Raiders are set for an offseason of change following an ugly six-win 2022 campaign. We already know about longtime starting quarterback Derek Carr being on the trade block after he was benched late in the season.
Apparently, the Raiders’ brass of head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler are not going to stop their roster makeover with Carr.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the power duo will “continue aggressively tweaking the roster.” The NFL insider points to two Pro Bowl skill-position players as potential trade candidates.
“McDaniels is big on ‘culture fits’ and will want his own guys. Teams will be keeping an eye on tight end Darren Waller and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow in that process.”
Report on Las Vegas Raiders trade plans
On the surface, this seems pretty darn surprising. Dating back to his days as the New England Patriots’ offensive coordinator, McDaniels has relied a lot on slot receivers and tight ends. The likes of Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski come to mind first.
But it also must be noted that Las Vegas’ brass wants to change the culture in Sin City following a disappointing 2022 campaign. If that means moving off these two former Pro Bowlers after injury-plagued 2022 seasons, then so be it.
Related: 4 realistic veteran QB options for Las Vegas Raiders other than Tom Brady
Trade market for Las Vegas Raiders’ Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow
Waller signed a three-year, $51 million contract extension with the Raiders last offseason. That average of $17 million is the highest figure for a tight end in NFL history.
Waller followed that up by recording just 28 receptions for 388 yards and three touchdowns in nine games this past season. From 2019-21, the former Georgia Tech standout averaged 84 receptions for north of 1,000 yards.
There’s a chance that other teams will bank on Waller returning to earlier-career form. Any acquiring team would be on the hook for a $12 million cap hit next season. Waller had previously been linked to the Green Bay Packers in trade talks. Should Aaron Rodgers return to Wisconsin, this becomes a real possibility. As of right now, a mid-round pick and change would be the likely asking price for Waller.
As for Renfrow, he inked a two-year, $32.33 million extension with Vegas last June, mere months after earning his first career Pro Bowl appearance. Much like Waller, he dealt with injuries and a lack of production in 2022.
The former Clemson star caught just 36 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games. Renfrow’s cap hit for next season comes in at $11.66 million with an acquiring team being on the hook for all of that.
It was back in 2021 that Renfrow hauled in a whopping 103 passes for north of 1,000 yards while catching 80.5% of his targets. There will be interest in his services. That’s for sure.