Raiders Rumors: Darren Waller A Potential Trade Candidate With Deadline Approaching

Corey Hansford
Corey Hansford
3 Min Read
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller (83) just misses a catch during the second quarter at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. Nfl Las Vegas Raiders At Tennessee Titans

The Las Vegas Raiders have some momentum going their way following their second win in three games, and now with the trade deadline approaching, the team could be making some moves soon. The likes of Johnathan Abram and Clelin Ferrell have been mentioned as trade possibilities, and the team already traded defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins to the Dallas Cowboys, but a bigger name could potentially be moved in tight end Darren Waller.

Waller’s talent is undeniable, but the tight end has struggled to stay healthy over the last couple of seasons. After back-to-back seasons of over 1,100 yards, Waller had just 665 yards in 11 games last season and is again struggling to stay on the field this year.

Even still, Waller signed a new three-year contract extension with the Raiders last month, but according to RaidersBeat.com, that deal does not provide many obstacles if the Raiders want to trade Waller away:

Waller signed a hefty extension with the Raiders before the start of the season, but the deal was crafted in a way that the team can trade him relatively easily at any time. According to Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac.com, Waller would only cost the Raiders $4.4 million in dead money if traded this week. That amount of dead money would easily be made up with Waller’s contract off the books.

A team in need of some receiving help would undoubtedly be interested in a player of Waller’s caliber, and the Raiders would likely be able to get some decent draft compensation in such a deal. The Raiders offense certainly hasn’t struggled with Waller sidelined, as Davante Adams continues to dominate while Josh Jacobs is enjoying the best stretch of his career.

Due to injuries, the Raiders have not really seen how things could work with all of their offensive pieces on the field together. With Derek Carr at the helm, having Waller, Adams, Hunter Renfrow, and Mack Hollins along with Josh Jacobs in the backfield would give the Raiders one of the most dynamic offenses in the entire league, and head coach Josh McDaniels may want to at least wait and give them a chance to all come together.

But if the right deal comes together, it may be hard to turn down as Waller’s injury issues continue to pile up, and his talent simply isn’t able to be shown on the field because of it.

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Corey Hansford is the Senior Editor for Lakers Nation, as well as a contributor for Dodger Blue, Rams News Wire, and Raiders News Wire. He is a passionate follower of the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chelsea FC, and the UFC. He can usually be seen arguing the merits of Kobe Bryant or cursing the decisions of Jerry Jones. He is also a former producer and associate producer for Sirius XM Sports Radio on both the Fantasy Sports Channel and College Sports Nation. Proud graduate of Long Beach Poly High School and The Real HU, Howard University, with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. Follow him on all social media outlets at @TheeCoreyH.