The Raiders had a chance to make a real splash at guard, but Quenton Nelson is headed elsewhere.
Nelson was traded to the Seahawks on Tuesday, and according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the deal cost Seattle a third-round pick in 2027 and a fifth-round pick in 2028. For a Las Vegas offensive line that has been uneven for six weeks, that price looked doable to some observers.
The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen made that point plainly, posting: “Raiders should have traded their 3rd and 5th (higher picks) for Nelson”
That idea had obvious appeal. The Raiders’ guard play has been erratic over the last month and a half, and more shuffling on the interior of the offensive line may still be coming this week. Nelson would have stepped in as a major upgrade.
Still, Las Vegas may have preferred to stay put. The Caleb Rogers experiment hasn’t gone well over the past two weeks, and there isn’t much excitement about the idea of leaning more heavily on Spencer Burford or Jackson Powers-Johnson.
Trey Zuhn is also in the mix at guard, and that matters when you consider that John Spytek already used third-round picks on Zuhn and Rogers. Burford, meanwhile, remains a player the coaching staff appears to like.
That helps explain why the Raiders may have passed on Nelson, even with the obvious upgrade he would have provided.
The bigger trade chatter around the team is only going to grow as the November 10 deadline approaches. Maxx Crosby is expected to be a popular name, especially if the Raiders don’t beat the Jets on Sunday. There are people around the team who believe Crosby’s chances of being moved have risen significantly in recent days.
Kirk Cousins is another player to keep an eye on as the deadline nears, particularly if a playoff contender loses its quarterback to injury.
In theory, Las Vegas could still chase help at wide receiver or on the defensive line. But if the Raiders are sitting without a winning record at the deadline, making a bold move at either spot would be tough to justify.
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