The Raiders’ Week 5 loss to the Patriots didn’t just drop Las Vegas to 3-2. It also put a hard edge on how the team should be thinking about the trade deadline.
After opening 3-0 and looking like one of the league’s surprises, the Raiders have now been hit with back-to-back losses that showed exactly where the roster still comes up short. Sunday’s blowout in New England was the clearest reminder yet that this is still a young team in the early stages of a rebuild, even after an offseason full of changes.
Klint Kubiak didn’t try to dress up what happened. The Patriots found the weak spots and went after them.
“Well, in the NFL, there's always people working on your weaknesses at all times. So, the Patriots did a great job of exposing ours, and all I'm asking them to do is their jobs, and it's our jobs as coaches to get them prepared and put them in position to play successfully. So, they're young guys, they'll keep playing, and we count on them to play at a high level," Kubiak said the day after the game.
That message fits the bigger picture in Las Vegas. The first three weeks gave the Raiders a real boost, with wins over teams they would have lost to a season ago. The last two weeks have been the opposite, and the contrast says as much about the schedule as it does about the roster.
The Raiders started the year with two very different stretches against two very different kinds of opponents. Kubiak said the challenge for his staff is staying consistent through both kinds of results.
“I just think that if guys know what to expect from you that you're the same guy, whether you win or you lose, at least that's what I try to be; I'm not saying that I'm successful at that, but that's what I want from others to be consistent,” Kubiak said.
“Some of that you can count on, hold someone to a standard, and if it's not there, tell you the truth. If it is there, tell you, 'Good job'.
But however you handle something, win or loss, the goal is to win the game. And we did not win yesterday, and we have a long season ahead of us, and we have big goals."
That same reality is showing up in how the front office appears to be approaching the deadline. The Raiders already made a long list of moves this offseason, spent the money, and added the talent they believed they could work with. They also know the roster still has holes, because it was one of the league’s worst overall groups over the past three seasons.
Las Vegas has already done a lot to patch things up, but one offseason was never going to fix everything. The front office is expected to keep moving forward with the plan it already built, not chase a major fix in the middle of the season.
If the Raiders do add anyone else, it probably won’t come through a trade. Giving up draft capital for a team that was not expected to contend for the playoffs would be a tough sell, especially now that Marvin Harrison is off the board as a potential target. With few obvious sure things left worth paying for, the deadline picture looks pretty quiet.
So at 3-2, the Raiders seem to be heading into the deadline with the roster largely set. The offseason work was extensive. Now Kubiak and his staff are left to squeeze everything they can out of the group they already have.
In Other News...
Brock Bowers Is Forcing A Bigger Raiders Decision
Brock Bowers keeps pushing the Raiders into a conversation they can no longer avoid. The tight end has become one of the most central pieces of the offense, and his latest production only adds to the sense that Las Vegas has a true cornerstone on its hands. He has already stacked up a second 100-yard receiving game this season, another reminder that his role is no longer just promising - it is essential.
For a franchise trying to sort out its long-term offensive identity, Bowers is making the next step obvious even if the timing is not. His work has placed him alongside some of the most productive young pass-catching tight ends in the league, and it has also raised the stakes for future contract talks. The Raiders do not have to decide everything right now, but the direction this is heading is hard to miss. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Have A Jeanty Concern They Cant Ignore Right Now
Ashton Jeanty was out there in Week 5 against the Patriots even while dealing with multiple injuries, a reminder of how quickly the Raiders have come to lean on the rookies presence. For a team still trying to find its footing, having Jeanty on the field matters beyond the box score, and his willingness to suit up says plenty about how he views his role.
The concern, though, is not whether Jeanty wants to play. It is how much the Raiders can keep asking of him if he is already beat up this early in the season. Klint Kubiak confirmed the injuries and praised the toughness it took to keep going, but for Las Vegas, the larger question now is how long that kind of commitment can hold up if the hits keep coming. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders O-Line Struggles Are Turning Up Heat On One Starting Guard
The Raiders offensive line has been a sore spot through the first five weeks, and the guard play has been at the center of it. Spencer Burford and Jackson Powers-Johnson have both had uneven stretches, while D.J. Glaze and Tyler Linderbaum have provided more stability as the team tries to keep the front from becoming a weekly issue.
Burfords recent run has only sharpened the conversation around that spot, especially after a rough outing against New England that stood out in the grading. If the guards do not settle in soon, the Raiders may have to look harder at other options, including second-year guard Caleb Rogers, who remains a possibility to work his way back into the mix. [Read more 🡒]