Oakland Raiders should consider trade for Robert Quinn
The Oakland Raiders have one defensive end on the books for the upcoming season. Other than need, why is Robert Quinn a good fit with the Silver and Black?
It goes without saying, the Oakland Raiders have a huge need at defensive end. Arden Key lists as the only player at the position under contract for the 2019 season. According to Miami Herald‘s Armando Salguero (h/t ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio), the Miami Dolphins would eat some of defensive end Robert Quinn‘s $12.9 million cap hit to complete a trade for a draft pick.
Head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock should be on a line one with an offer. The Raiders can propose a late pick swap for a 28-year old pass-rusher, who logged 6.5 sacks last season.
Since the Dolphins would take on a portion of Quinn’s cap hit, Oakland wouldn’t have to worry about a costly acquisition slightly past his prime years. The All-Pro pass-rusher only has one year left on his current deal, per Spotrac.
After struggling with injuries between the 2015-16 terms, Quinn only missed one game over the last two seasons. Frankly, the Raiders desperately need edge help, and the free-agent market doesn’t have many options. Justin Houston, Ezekiel Ansah and Andre Branch are the most notable names left in the pool.
If anything, Quinn could provide immediate help and leadership for a young defense. At the end of the season, the Raiders can decide whether to retain or allow him to hit the market based on his performance.
Similar to Houston, Quinn should have more left in the tank for a team willing to use his pass-rushing skill set. There’s also a slight difference between the two, the Dolphins defender has lined up in 3-4 and 4-3 alignments in his career. Yes, there’s a higher use of nickel packages, but his experience in varied fronts allows defensive coordinator Paul Guenther more flexibility in how he’d like to attack the pocket.
Looking at the current roster, the eighth-year veteran would undoubtedly start on the front line as an important component to the defense for the 2019 campaign.
Next. 2019 NFL Mock Draft: Post-free agency first wave. dark
Since the 2011 term, Quinn lists ninth in sacks with 69 among defensive players active or inactive. The Raiders can offer their fifth-round pick and potentially ask for a sixth- or seventh-rounder in return. If Gruden and Mayock want to retrieve late-round selections for the upcoming draft, they can potentially trade players for those resources.