Raiders’ Trade Deadline Needs Center on Cornerback Depth

The Las Vegas Raiders have a clearer picture of their roster after the season’s first eight games, and their defensive backfield remains a concern as next week’s trade deadline approaches. The team could seek help at cornerback, a position that has been a weakness for several seasons and remains unsettled despite an offseason roster overhaul.

Las Vegas’ young defensive backs showed promise at points early in the season, but recent games have raised questions about the group. The struggles were especially apparent in Sunday’s game against the New York Jets, where the Raiders’ defensive backs had difficulty across the unit, including veteran Eric Stokes.

Coach Kubiak said the team would continue rotating its young corners and acknowledged that defensive backs will sometimes get beaten. He stressed the need for players to move on after giving up a play. The report’s assessment is that cornerback should top the Raiders’ list if they decide to make a deal.

On the other side of a potential trade, star defensive end Maxx Crosby and guard Jackson Powers-Johnson are identified as Las Vegas’ most valuable possible trade pieces. There has been little recent movement involving Crosby, though trade speculation could change quickly.

Powers-Johnson began the season as the starting guard before Caleb Rogers took over. After Rogers’ short run in the role, the Raiders turned to Trey Zuhn against the Jets. If the coaching staff decides Zuhn can handle the job for the rest of the season, Powers-Johnson could become more expendable. The report says Las Vegas might view a mid-round draft pick as a strong return for the guard.