As the November 10 trade deadline gets closer, the Raiders are staring at a few roster questions that could shape the rest of their season. The biggest one sits at quarterback, where head coach Klint Kubiak still believes Kirk Cousins gives Las Vegas its best chance to win. But if the Raiders are serious about turning the page to rookie Fernando Mendoza, they first have to figure out whether Cousins can actually be moved.
That’s not a simple call. The market for Cousins may be thinner than it looks, even with his passing numbers.
Entering Week 8, only two teams seem like even remote possibilities: the Minnesota Vikings and the Atlanta Falcons. Minnesota is in playoff position but still has quarterback uncertainty, with Kyler Murray throwing for three touchdowns and two interceptions in five games.
The Vikings could stay with him the rest of the way or turn to backup Carson Wentz if the passing game doesn’t improve.
Atlanta is in a similar spot, but with a different wrinkle. The Falcons are 3-2 with Michael Penix Jr. and 0-2 without him, and they may be thinking about their backup plan because of Penix’s injury history.
Backup Tua Tagovailoa has struggled since the preseason. Beyond those two teams, the options get pretty murky.
Contenders already have established starters, while teams near the bottom of the standings are unlikely to give up anything meaningful for a 38-year-old bridge quarterback. Unless an injury hits a playoff-caliber team in the next week, the Raiders may not get much back for Cousins.
Up front, there’s a real chance for rookie Trey Zuhn III to force his way into the lineup. The third-round pick has been getting first-team reps at right guard this week, and he made it clear he’s ready for the shot.
" Zuhn III said to reporters. "I know I can do it."
Andrew Janocko had praise ready for him as well. “ Hard worker," Janocko said via Raiders.com's Levi Edwards. "He’s very attention to detail mannered, but he keeps striving for different opportunities.”
Zuhn’s background makes him an interesting fit there. At Texas A&M, he mostly played left tackle, but Las Vegas has cross-trained him at center, right guard and right tackle. With Tyler Linderbaum locked in at center and DJ Glaze bouncing back at right tackle, the door is open for Zuhn to settle in at right guard.
That spot has already changed hands once. Jackson Powers-Johnson opened the season as the starter, but Kubiak benched him after Week 5.
Caleb Rogers has started the last two games, though pass protection has been a problem; he’s allowed five pressures, including two sacks, per Pro Football Focus. If Zuhn holds up against the Jets, he could be the one manning that job for the rest of the season.
There’s also a roster decision from earlier that’s drawing second-guessing. Ryan Paganetti, a former analytics director who spent time with the Raiders last year, thinks general manager John Spytek may have moved too quickly on defensive tackle Jonah Laulu. Paganetti, who also worked with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Philadelphia Eagles during their last Super Bowl run, believes the Raiders could have traded Laulu instead of waiving him.
The release raised eyebrows because Laulu had shown some growth as an interior pass-rusher, piling up 11 pressures and four sacks last season. Even so, his snap share had dipped below 27% before the team let him go. Spytek may have tried to find a trade partner, but if that didn’t happen, Paganetti believes the Raiders could have waited until the deadline to see whether a team in need of a defensive tackle came calling after missing out on bigger names.
Instead, the Tennessee Titans claimed him. Las Vegas may have been able to squeeze out a late-round pick, and Paganetti’s point leaves open the possibility that the Raiders let a useful rotational player walk away without getting anything in return.
In Other News...
Raiders Fans Have A New Trade Deadline Concern With JPJ
With the November 10 trade deadline creeping closer, the Raiders suddenly have more than one name floating around in the rumor mill. Jackson Powers-Johnson has become part of that conversation after landing on the injury report with a back issue, adding another layer to a week already filled with speculation about which veterans and young pieces could be in play if Las Vegas decides to listen.
The chatter has not been limited to one player, either, with Isaiah Pola-Mao, Maxx Crosby and Kirk Cousins also mentioned as possible trade candidates depending on how the season and the coaching situation unfold. For Raiders fans, the concern is less about a single rumor than the larger question of whether the front office views this roster as one worth holding together, or one that could be reshaped before the deadline arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Depth Chart Reveals Where This Skid Is Really Hurting
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Offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko said the staff adjusts practice routines every week to help the team improve, and this one has clearly been aimed at tightening up the details. With the offense still searching for more production and the defense looking for steadier execution, the next stretch will show whether those weekly tweaks can start to matter in a meaningful way. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Could Get Needed Help Back With One Big Role Question
Jack Bech is back in the conversation for the Raiders at a time when they could use another dependable body at wide receiver. The rookie has already built a reputation inside the building for his energy, work habits and willingness to block in the run game, traits that tend to earn trust quickly in a room where every role matters. After missing time with a broken arm, he is again eligible to return, which gives Las Vegas another option as it tries to sort out its passing-game rotation.
Klint Kubiak has left the door open for Bech to play against the Jets, but the bigger question is how much of a role he can handle right away. For a Raiders offense looking for help, simply getting him back on the field would matter, yet the real intrigue is whether his return comes with a meaningful workload or just a limited first step back into the mix. [Read more 🡒]