5 players the Raiders may trade before the NFL deadline
3. Jared Cook
It’s been a pretty ugly season for the Raiders, but Jared Cook has emerged as a valuable tight end for the franchise. Unfortunately, he’s 31-years-old and he’ll be a free agent this offseason. As such, Oakland would be smart to get what they can for Cook this week.
Of course, the market for aging tight ends isn’t exactly white-hot at the moment. No team looking for a pass catcher like Cook is going to pay a lot for his services. In all likelihood, the Raiders would be looking at a fifth round pick or less in exchange for his services.
The heft of the return shouldn’t really matter here. There’s zero reason for Oakland to hang on to Cook if they receive any sort of guaranteed asset for him in a trade. Even if all they can get is a seventh rounder, Gruden and company should pull the trigger.
At that price, a contender looking to add a bit of spice to their pass game could be interested. Someone like New England could make a lot of sense if they want to lighten the load on Rob Gronkowski down the stretch. Cook isn’t a star, but he’s a solid TE2 for the right team. Oakland should be shopping him.