Over the last two weeks, struggling teams have traded key players, including the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders faced a different situation with wide receiver Davante Adams’ trade request, but if they fall to 2-6 on Sunday, general manager Tom Telesco may explore trading players for draft capital.
Telesco does not have a track record of making aggressive deals. So he could maintain the status quo while keeping fans guessing about what’s in store for the upcoming season.
However, head coach Antonio Pierce has rejected the idea of tanking at this point in the season, indicating that the team’s focus has not moved to an emphasis on development rather than winning games. With that approach, he is expected to maximize the potential of a flawed roster and field a competitive team.
Why is a fire sale a good indicator for Antonio Pierce’s job security?
The Raiders’ desire to transfer significant roster assets would indicate that the organization has entered rebuild mode, with an emphasis on developing younger players for the long term future.
As a result of that attitude, Pierce would have to deploy the next-man-up cliche, despite the fact that without its best players, the team would be unable to compete against playoff-caliber opponents as the schedule became more difficult in the second part of the season.
After Sunday, the Raiders must travel to Cincinnati to face the Bengals before their bye week, followed by the Miami Dolphins, who will most likely have Tua Tagovailoa back at quarterback. They’ll play the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on their home turf, and the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football. Second-division opponents for Las Vegas will be the Denver Broncos, who defeated them by 16 points a few weeks ago, and the Los Angeles Chargers.
With that schedule over the next two months, the Raiders will struggle to win with their current roster. In that case, he may be safe in assuming that the squad requires a complete roster overhaul.
