With the NFL trade deadline approaching in the next couple of weeks, there are sure to be some names pop up in rumors, especially those on teams who haven’t gotten off to great starts. For the Las Vegas Raiders, these apparently involve a couple of former first-round picks who haven’t quite lived up to expectations.
The Raiders had three first-round picks in the 2019 NFL Draft, giving them a chance to quickly rebuild the roster if they could hit. But two of the three are apparently on the trade block with a new regime that has taken things over this past offseason.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Raiders are shopping safety Johnathan Abram and defensive end Clelin Ferrell ahead of the upcoming trade deadline, via Tim Daniels of Bleacher Report:
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Tuesday the Raiders have been in talks with rival teams about both players, with Abram’s name “circulating a lot.”
“The Raiders are trying to start new with players who fit their personality,” an NFC executive told Fowler. “They’ve been pretty aggressive in that.”
Fowler would add that the Raiders’ interest in moving some players is well-known around the league, via Daniels:
It’s “no secret” that Ziegler is working to rid the roster of players from the previous regime, per Fowler.
This is pretty standard when a franchise gets a new head coach and general manager. Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler have plans on building the team that they want, and often times that means some players who don’t fit that mold are moved out.
Abram is actually coming off the best season of his young career, as he totaled 116 tackles, four passes defensed and an interception in 2021. Through five games this season, he has 32 tackles, ranking third on the Raiders, but while being known as a big hitter from the safety position, his issues in coverage have led to some lackluster rankings by many analytical systems.
Ferrell has had far less of an impact despite being the fourth overall pick in that 2019 Draft. He has just four tackles and no sacks in five games this year and is playing in just 34 percent of the Raiders’ defensive snaps this season.
Coincidentally it was the third of those 2019 first-round picks, Josh Jacobs, who was the subject of many trade rumors coming into this season. But he now looks like a pivotal part of the Raiders’ future after a strong start this year, while Abram and Ferrell could be moved very soon.
