Raiders Rumors: Derek Carr, Amari Cooper, Trade Candidates

Derek Carr 

Interestingly enough, Jason La Canfora predicts that Jon Gruden will trade away QB Derek Carr around the Combine next year and specifically mentions the Giants as a team worth watching.

“I think the big final play … sort of how you look at their teardown… The final one will be Derek Carr and I don’t think it will be close to the draft, I think it will be at the combine,” La Canfora said. “And ultimately what’s the point of keeping Derek Carr? And if you have all this draft capital and you get a one plus something else for Derek Carr, which I think he can — I’ll call it right now, Derek Carr to the New York Giants. At the combine.

“That makes all the sense in the world to me. The Giants don’t really want to rebuild. And they don’t really want to admit they screwed up by not taking a quarterback, right? So they trade what will be a fairly high [first-round pick] or maybe they do it for a future [first-round pick] if this one looks like it’s going to be top two or three. I think that’s what they do and they plug him right in there with Barkley, Odell and Shephard and [Evan Engram] and they try to keep that thing going.”

Amari Cooper

• Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com explains that while Amari Cooper has shown some signs of possibly being an All-Pro talent, he also “isn’t trending in a great direction,” which will likely impact his trade value.
• Breer mentions that parting with a top-50 pick to get Cooper could leave a team in a similar position as the Patriots were with Brandin Cooks before they traded him to the Rams. While the Patriots managed to recoup a first-round pick for Cooks, Breer believes Cooper would be more of a “dice roll” for any team willing to consider a trade.

Trade Candidates

Jason La Canfora mentioned recently that Raiders HC Jon Gruden is pretty much willing to trade anyone on their roster at this point.

“If there’s value for Amari Cooper, he’ll do it. He’s not going to give him away. He’ll give away Karl Joseph. He’ll give away Gareon Conley if anyone’s willing to take that salary off his hands,” La Canfora said. “…I think the Jordy Nelson contract’s probably untradeable. If someone wants Marshawn Lynch, why not? If Donald Penn was healthy, he’d be gone. I think if Obi Melifonwu was healthy and not on IR, he’d be gone. If Reggie picked you, you’re gone.“