All 4-4 teams look different, and the Raiders are sitting in that awkward middle where the trade deadline can go either way. Las Vegas has enough reason to push for help, but there’s also a real case for cashing in a few pieces and adding draft capital while this rebuild is still in its early stages.
That’s the bind for John Spytek. He could get aggressive and treat this like a possible playoff window, or he could keep building for later. The cleanest answer might be a little of both.
On the buy side, A'Shawn Robinson makes a lot of sense. He’s exactly the kind of run-stuffing nose tackle the Raiders need, and the connections are already there with Joe DeCamillis and Buccaneers GM Jason Licht. Tampa Bay is still hanging around in a weak NFC South, but if the season keeps drifting, a Day 3 pick could be enough to pry him loose.
Brian Thomas Jr. is the swing-for-the-fences name. The idea here is simple: one elite rookie season doesn’t get dismissed as a fluke, and Las Vegas could offer a cleaner path to unlocking that talent.
He has true X receiver upside, he’s only 24, and the Raiders’ offense has fewer mouths to feed. If the price stays reasonable, he’s the kind of move worth making.
Cesar Ruiz is the more practical target. He’s 27, experienced, and still young enough to matter beyond this season.
He’s been excellent in pass protection for New Orleans, and the Saints have also been most effective running behind him, with 4.1 yards per carry. If Las Vegas wants to stabilize a guard spot or move on from a current starter, Ruiz fits.
The sell list starts with Jackson Powers-Johnson, which is a tough one given his talent. But the reality is that he doesn’t look like a starter right now, with Zuhn III in the lineup and Caleb Rogers working as the extra sixth lineman.
He’s too valuable to sit for long, especially as a former second-round pick with another year and a half left on his rookie deal. If a team offers an early Day 3 pick, or a package that brings back another player, the Raiders should seriously consider it.
Isaiah Pola-Mao is another possible move. His market probably isn’t huge, but he does bring safety experience, special teams value, and a reputation as a leader and good locker room presence. If another team is willing to swap Day 3 picks, Las Vegas should take it.
The most interesting name is Kirk Cousins. He’s “obviously ballin',” even if some of the numbers are a little misleading, and his value is as high as it’s going to get. The Vikings are reportedly in the market for a quarterback, and with Fernando Mendoza sitting in the bullpen, the Raiders should at least listen if someone comes with a strong offer, like a Day 2 pick in 2027.
That same logic applies to Aidan O'Connell, who can’t be traded separately from Cousins in this setup, so the two are grouped together. O'Connell hasn’t played this season, but he has a solid résumé, even if his recent outings were uneven.
He’s made it clear he wants to start somewhere in the NFL, which means a trade could make sense for him too. If a Day 3 pick swap is on the table, Las Vegas should move it.
In Other News...
Greg Papa And Raiders Finally Have An Emotional Reunion Story
Greg Papas long run as the Raiders play-by-play voice made him one of the more recognizable figures in the franchises modern history, and his ties to the organization have taken on a more personal tone in recent months. Now the 49ers radio play-by-play announcer, Papa said in an interview on the JT The Brick Show that his relationship with Raiders owner Mark Davis has improved after a difficult stretch that changed the perspective around their connection.
Papa revealed that the two had drifted apart before his acute lymphoblastic leukemia diagnosis in July 2025, but the illness brought a meaningful reconciliation. He said Davis reached out soon after the diagnosis and later brought him back to Las Vegas for a special honor tied to Al Davis, a gesture that underscored how much the relationship had shifted since their earlier friction. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Young Defense Faces Its Biggest Test Yet Against San Francisco
The Raiders got a needed defensive lift in their Week 8 win over the Jets, a reminder that even in the first year of Rob Leonards rebuild, there are signs of progress. The work has centered on a young back end, with several first- and second-year players getting thrown into real responsibility early and learning on the fly as the season unfolds.
San Francisco brings a different kind of challenge, the sort that can expose every young edge and every missed assignment. For Las Vegas, this is less about one game than about measuring how far the defense has come against a roster built on discipline, depth and pressure from all angles, with the next step in that evaluation still waiting on Sunday. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Midseason Rankings Show Whats Carrying This 4-4 Team
At the midpoint of the season, the Raiders 4-4 record looks a lot more understandable when you sort the roster unit by unit. The latest evaluation of the position groups points to a team that has found real stability in a few key spots, with the discussion centered on how much production the offense has gotten from its top pass catchers and how that has helped keep Las Vegas afloat through the first half.
The most interesting part of the breakdown is how the Raiders are getting meaningful contributions from places that were supposed to be more of a question mark. Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer have given the offense a dependable foundation, while Kirk Cousins has been one of the bigger surprises of the season after a strong opening stretch. The rankings make clear that Las Vegas has some genuine strengths carrying it right now, even if the full picture of where this team stands is still being sorted out. [Read more 🡒]