3 trades the Raiders should make to reach the playoffs

The Las Vegas Raiders may want to make a trade before Tuesday’s deadline

At 4-3, the Las Vegas Raiders have to decide if they are trade deadline buyers or not.

With the Silver and Black continuing to rack up quality win after quality win, the Raiders are giving off the impression they will be in the mix to reach the 2020 AFC playoffs. While it will likely be as an AFC Wild Card team, the Raiders may need to make a move or two to better position themselves for when they get into the postseason. Here are three trades they could make.

Three trades the Raiders can make ahead of the 2020 NFL trade deadline

Being held out of Thursday Night Football indicates he is being shopped.

Despite getting a win over the Carolina Panthers on Thursday Night Football, the Atlanta Falcons are playing for next year. While other players on this massively underperforming team could be readily available, including the best wide receiver in football in Julio Jones, the player the Raiders need to pursue is defensive end Takkarist McKinley. He could help bolster their pass rush.

McKinley did not play on Thursday night vs. Carolina, as he was held out due to a groin injury. While he may be available Week 9’s action, he may have played his last snap for Atlanta. Though he only has one sack on the year, this is a former first-round pick by the Dirty Birds who grew up on the West Coast, starring for Jim Mora’s UCLA Burins before turning pro back in 2017.

Again, this would be a flyer the Raiders could use to give their pass rush even more bite. McKinley had his fifth-year option declined ahead of this season, so he’s not going back to Atlanta in any realistic capacity. If the Raiders feel they could use a rotational pass rush piece, it might be worth a late-round pick to see if McKinley can come up big for them on a few plays in the second half.

While the pass rush is seen as the strength of the Raiders defense, why would you not want to make it even better when you haven’t won a playoff game since 2002? The Raiders will have to be road warriors this postseason should they qualify. If they want to give themselves a realistic shot at a playoff road upset, the best course of action will be in getting after the opposing quarterback.