Are the NFL rumors a little below your normal frequency at this time of year?
Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson have been driving the NFL news cycles for weeks, but even the headline “disgruntled Pro Bowl defender” can only take the industry for a long time – especially when nothing is really happening.
Maybe it’s the pandemic (lesser access) or maybe the teams are just being quieter, but the first week of March is usually filled with rumors of a free agent much more than we’ve seen so far.
However, a low-key Raiders storyline is now probably worth keeping an eye on. There is a prevailing thought that Jon Gruden is open to business with his next draft choices. The Raiders need a lot of help on the defensive side of the ball and the last two drafts probably didn’t do much to convince Gruden to hold on to the draft choices this year.
JT The Brick, the Raiders’ media personality, recently brought up the idea of Raiders switching to a defensive player and he is not the only one talking about it. There is nothing firm to report on the subject (and teams are always looking for updates in any way they can), but it looks like this year the Raiders may have an aggressive move coming. No, it is not an exchange for Watson or Russell. Instead, an exchange for a veteran defensive player.
Raiders GM Mike Mayock loves his draft choices, but there is a sense that his higher choices may not be as protected as they have been for the past two years. And that thought raises an obvious question …
What kind of defensive player could the Raiders choose by exchanging a draft choice from day one or day two?
Twitter: @raidersbeat