The Raiders had their chance to get swept into the Marvin Harrison Jr. buzz, but Las Vegas never got close to paying the price Houston was willing to pay.
According to a report last week, the Raiders were not about to surrender anything near what the Texans sent to Arizona for Harrison. There was talk that Las Vegas might have been willing to part with a Day 3 draft pick, though that has not been reported.
And if the Raiders did reach out to the Cardinals about him, as was reported, then they clearly had some level of interest. Still, they were never serious players in the sweepstakes, and that ended up working in their favor.
Houston, meanwhile, appears to have gone too far. Based on what’s been reported, the Texans were basically bidding against themselves. No other team came close to offering Arizona a second-round pick, which is what the Cardinals got.
The Texans were hoping Harrison could help kick-start his career again by reuniting him with C.J. Stroud.
Instead, the first two games in Houston have looked an awful lot like the old version of Harrison. In his debut with the Texans, he finished with 3 catches on 4 targets for 34 yards.
In his second game, he managed just one catch for 6 yards on 4 targets.
The film hasn’t helped his case either. Over the last two weeks, Harrison’s play has looked just as underwhelming as the box scores, and it is already starting to feel like Houston gave up a second-round pick for a player who still hasn’t found his footing.
That’s why John Spytek deserves credit for not giving in to the temptation. The Raiders’ receiver room has been disappointing enough that nobody would have blamed him for making a move, but the second-year general manager kept his hand away from the table.
The bigger question now is whether Spytek and the Raiders make another swing at wide receiver before the November 10 trade deadline. There are options out there, but none of them look like a true long-term fix for the team’s need for a no. 1 receiver.
For now, the receiver the Raiders seem most interested in getting a closer look at is Dont’e Thornton Jr. The fourth-round pick from a year ago was dealing with a hamstring injury he suffered in training camp, which kept him out through the preseason and the regular season to this point. He was activated on Tuesday and will be eligible to play against the Jets on Sunday.
In Other News...
Raiders Just Put Dont'e Thornton Jr. Under A Real Spotlight
The Raiders have finally brought Dont'e Thornton Jr. back onto the active roster, a move that comes after head coach Klint Kubiak had been non-committal about whether the rookie receiver would be ready in time. His return gives Las Vegas another pass-catching option at a time when the offense could use all the help it can get, especially with Jack Bech also expected back at practice soon after a broken forearm.
Thornton's activation also forced a roster decision, and the Raiders chose to make it on the defensive side of the ball. For a team still sorting out how its receiving mix will look moving forward, the timing adds a little more pressure to Thornton to show he can contribute quickly and make the most of the opening he was given. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Roster Shakeup Could Be Just The Start
The Raiders made a roster tweak this week by activating Donte Thornton Jr. and moving on from Jonah Laulu, who could circle back to the practice squad. Its the kind of housekeeping that comes with a long season, but it also fits a team still sorting through its depth and trying to find a workable mix after another rough stretch.
What makes the move more interesting is that it may not be the last one. Jack Bech is expected back from injury soon, and his return could force another shuffle at wide receiver as Las Vegas keeps reworking the bottom of the roster. Beyond that, the Raiders are still dealing with the broader noise around the team, from former wideout Zay Jones landing with Arizona to fresh chatter about Maxx Crosby as the losses keep piling up. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders May Have Let A Rare O-Line Chance Slip Away
Four straight losses have turned the Raiders from a team trying to hang around the playoff picture into one that has to think about the trade deadline very differently. At 3-4, the conversation in Las Vegas is no longer just about adding help for a push, but about whether the roster needs bigger-picture fixes, especially along an offensive line that has been under the microscope for much of the season.
So when a rare name like Quenton Nelson suddenly came off the board, it was the sort of move that naturally makes the Raiders wonder what might have been. Nelson would have fit the kind of upgrade this offense could use, but his availability came with the usual complications tied to his contract and the timing of where Las Vegas appears to be headed as a team. In a year that already looks like it could tilt toward rebuilding, chances to land a premium lineman do not come along often. [Read more 🡒]