Oakland Raiders: Big-name targets ahead of 2018 NFL trade deadline

Jadeveon Clowney, DE, Houston Texans

The Raiders made a very bad decision when they decided to trade away Khalil Mack just before the start of the 2018 campaign. Since the All-Pro edge rusher joined the Chicago Bears, he’s been putting together an MVP-worthy effort, making Gruden’s decision all the more embarrassing.

It’s not just the fact that Mack is wreaking havoc elsewhere that made the trade a bad move, though. It’s also the fact that the Raiders have failed to put together any sort of consistent pass rush so far this season.

Although trading for Jadeveon Clowney wouldn’t be as effective as keeping Mack would have, it would be a huge step in the right direction.

Right now, Clowney has 2.5 sacks in 2018. The Raiders defense as a whole has six. Adding the former No. 1 overall pick would certainly be a huge boost for the Oakland defense, which even Gruden admits is a mess in the pass-rushing department. It may not be a solve-all, but anything is better than what the Raiders have going right now.

So why would the Houston Texans deal Clowney? Well, for starters, he’s headed for free agency in 2019 and may be too expensive to re-sign considering they’re already paying big bucks for J.J. Watt and Benardrick McKinney. Trading Clowney wouldn’t be ideal, but would yield significant returns and isn’t going to hurt too much considering their lack of contender appeal.

It seems too much for Gruden to admit failure by trading for a Mack replacement. Then again, who knows what’s going on in that man’s head right now.