The Oakland Raiders are struggling this season with a 1-5 record. Head coach Jon Gruden traded star pass rusher Khalil Mack to the Bears for draft picks. There is speculation the Raiders may trade star wide receiver Amari Cooper to get value from him like they did with Mack. The team has many injuries which is adding to their struggles, and changes may need to be made for the Raiders to succeed after their move to Las Vegas in 2020.

1. The Oakland Raiders are a mess right now in the National Football league. When last season
ended, the hype was around Jon Gruden coming back to the NFL to coach. The Raiders inked
Gruden to a 10-year $100 million contract.
Gruden first move as coach was trading 2016 Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack to the
Chicago Bears. They also sent a 2020 second-round pick. In return, the Raiders received the
Bears 2019 first-round pick, 2019 sixth-round pick, 2020 first-round pick and 2020 third-round
pick. The pros and cons for this trade was pro, freed up a lot of money to spend on future
players. Con, traded the best pass rusher in the league and a top pick in the 2020 draft.
Heading into week 7 off the NFL season the Raiders are 1-5 tied for the last place in the NFL
with the Arizona Cardinals, San Franciso 49ers, Indianapolis Colts and the New York Giants. In
total offense, the Raiders are ranked 14th, but in defense, they are ranked 24th. Gruden is
quoted saying “We aren’t tanking anything.” There have also been rumors speculating about
the team is winning to trade wider receiver Amari Cooper and quarterback Derek Carr.
Amari Cooper, who the Raiders selected with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2015 draft has had
two seasons with 1,000 yards and last season had a career-high seven touchdowns. This year
Gruden wanted to make Cooper the “guy” on the offensive side. Currently, the Raiders want a
lot in return from Cooper like a haul they got from the bears with Mack.

2. If the Raiders elect to trade Cooper there would be a huge hole for the wider receiver slot. They
could elect to sign a wide receiver and of the top 25 free agents for the upcoming free agent
market according to NFL trade rumors.co, Golden Tate is ranked 14th on the list. If the Raiders
decided to draft for a wide receiver the top five wide receivers in college according to
cbssports.com is junior from Ole Miss A.J. Brown, senior from Buffalo Anthony Johnson, junior
from Arizona St. N’Keal Harry, junior from Miami (Fla.) Ahmmon Richards and senior from
South Carolina Deebo Samuel.
Derek Carr was the 36 pick in the NFL draft in 2014. Carr has a career record of 29-39 with 2016
with the record of 12-4. Gruden had his full faith into Carr before the season. He also picked the
raiders so he can grow this team with Carr. Carr, as the season heads into week seven leads the
league in interceptions with eight and a QBR of 47. He is completing 71 percent of his passes. If
the Raiders decide to trade Carr, his potential landing spot is for the New York Giants.
If the Raiders do not get a quarterback in return in a trade involving Carr they will most likely
sign a free agent first. Out of the top 25 free agents on NFL trade rumors.co Nick Foles, Teddy
Bridgewater and Tyrod Taylor are the only quarterbacks. The top five quarterbacks in college
football according to cbssports.com is senior from NC State Ryan Finley, senior from Missouri
Drew Lock, junior from Oregon Justin Herbert, junior from Auburn Jerrett Stidham and senior
from Washington Jake Browning.

3. Putting the trade rumors to aside the biggest problem for the Raiders is the lack of staying
healthy. Left guard Kelechi Osemele has been out with a knee, back up guard Jon Feliciano is
now questionable with ribs, Cooper and Seth Roberts are under concussion protocol, Carr is
questionable with hurting his left shoulder, Marshawn Lynch with a strained groin, Kolton
Miller knee, Donald Penn is on the IR with a groin and Karl Joseph has been ruled out.
With the Raiders, moving to Las Vegas in 2020 some changes will need to happen for the
Raiders to be accepted in Las Vegas.