The Las Vegas Raiders have a new coach and could be cleaning house. If so, the Dallas Cowboys should call about these three players.
Josh McDaniels has taken over as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders and one thing we know for sure about him is that he doesn’t mind re-tooling his roster to his needs. That could mean several players from Las Vegas could be on the trade block and if they are, the Dallas Cowboys should be interested.
Vegas has a talented roster, evidenced by the fact that they made the playoffs in 2021 but they’re not exactly contenders. This is why McDaniels could be doing some fine-tuning — and why a team such as Dallas could do some bargain shopping.
Here we dive in and identify three players who the Cowboys should target from the Raiders this offseason.
Dallas Cowboys target No. 3: Bryan Edwards, WR
This first target comes with a little bit of a caveat. In 2021, the Cowboys had an elite wide receiver corps with Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup, and Cedrick Wilson. The problem is, Gallup and Wilson are entering free agency and Cooper is a player some have suggested could be traded to save money for free agents.
Should Dallas lose any combination of these players, they would need to bring in more talent and that’s where Bryan Edwards comes in. A third-round pick in 2020, Edwards had just 11 receptions for 193 yards and a touchdown as a rookie and then added 571 yards and three scores off 34 receptions in year two.
He’s a player on the rise but Las Vegas is also going to be in the market for a No. 1 wideout. That could mean Edwards is a player they will listen to trade offers for and Dallas would surely like to add a 6-foot-3, 212-pound wideout who knows how to play in the slot.
Dallas Cowboys target No. 2: Alex Leatherwood, OL
At one point — not that long ago — the Dallas Cowboys boasted one of the best offensive lines in the game. That was not the case in 2021.
Instead, the offensive line was one of their issues throughout the season, and injuries (as well as a suspension) only made them seem worse. Tyron Smith missed time once again with injuries and La’el Collins was hit with a suspension early in the season and never seemed the same when he returned.
There were even larger issues in the middle as second-year center Tyler Biadasz struggled as did left guard Connor Williams. Chances are, Dallas will go out of their way to fix their line in 2022 — which could include them drafting someone such as Tyler Linderbaum from Iowa to play center.
Other moves should be made as well, and this could include adding Alex Leatherwood via trade. A former first-round pick for the Raiders, Leatherwood has not lived up to his status. Originally expected to be a tackle, he was moved inside to guard, and now with a new staff that did not take him with a premium pick, he could be on the move.
If so, Dallas would make sense. They don’t need him to come in and be a savior but if he can simply develop close to the player we all saw at Alabama, they could have a serviceable starter who could help get this line back on track.
Dallas Cowboys target No. 1: Clelin Ferrell, EDGE
One of the more surprising first-round picks in recent years came courtesy of Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock. The former head coach and general manager of the Las Vegas Raiders traded away defensive end Khalil Mack and with the fourth overall pick the following season, they targeted Clelin Ferrell as his replacement.
As a rookie, he recorded 38 tackles and 4.5 sacks and while that was seen as a disappointment, it has also been his best statistical campaign yet. In 2020, Ferrell had 27 tackles and two sacks, and in 2021 he was relegated to a reserve role and had 14 tackles with 1.5 sacks.
Las Vegas has also seen him surpassed by Maxx Crosby and added Yannick Ngakoue, showing they needed to throw money at a free agent despite using such a high pick on a player at the same position recently.
In fairness to the Clemson product, he should have never been the No. 4 overall pick and that’s why he’s been seen as such a bust.
Dallas has had some luck with former day one picks that were unable to catch on with their original team which is why Ferrell makes sense for them. It could also be good for him as he wouldn’t be playing for a team that invested such a high pick on his services, which could free him up from some of the expectations he’s been trying to meet.
The Cowboys have a decision to make with DeMarcus Lawrence who is due a lot of money and also need to figure out how to re-sign Randy Gregory. If any of this doesn’t work out the way they hope, Ferrell could be a solid Plan B.