3 players the Raiders should trade this offseason

2. Johnathan Abram

Johnathan Abram missed almost all of his rookie season due to injury, but to his credit, he’s already played in 11 games this season. The problem is that the former first-round pick doesn’t look like a real difference-maker from his strong safety spot.

His lack of ball skills is a real issue for a secondary that’s short on playmakers. He’s more than willing to throw his weight around to hit wide receivers running deep routes over the middle, but he lacks the size and speed to stop them from making big plays frequently enough to justify his position as a starter.

Abram does flash enough to interest another team if he’s made available via trade. A move to a team with a more talented group of defensive backs could go a long way towards maxing Abram’s deficiencies. It’s even possible he could blossom into an above-average star if he’s given the ability to make more plays close to the line of scrimmage.

That’s not going to happen for him in Las Vegas. Gruden’s current defensive scheme requires his safeties to stay deep and patrol the final third of the field on almost every down. Abram’s got the swagger Gruden wants to see in his defensive players, but he doesn’t have enough substance. Moving him for a third-round pick would be a solid recovery for the Raiders.