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3 realistic Marcus Mariota trades the Raiders should make

By Rucker Haringey

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 17: Marcus Mariota #8 of the Las Vegas Raiders looks to throw a pass during the first half against the Los Angeles Chargers at Allegiant Stadium on December 17, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 17: Marcus Mariota #8 of the Las Vegas Raiders looks to throw a pass during the first half against the Los Angeles Chargers at Allegiant Stadium on December 17, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images) /
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Raiders trade rumors, Jon Gruden
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – NOVEMBER 29: Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden looks on during warm ups prior to their game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on November 29, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

It’s time for the Raiders to cash in on Marcus Mariota. Here are three trades Las Vegas can make to get maximum value for the talented quarterback. 

Marcus Mariota may have failed to help the Raiders by serving as an upgrade over Derek Carr, but there’s still a way he can really aid Las Vegas. The quarterback’s modest contract now makes him a solid trade asset for Jon Gruden to leverage this offseason.

The Raiders’ front office deserves a lot of credit for the way they structured Mariota’s deal. They set it up so the team could walk away from him this offseason without absorbing any dead salary. If Las Vegas keeps Mariota, he’s slated to earn $10.725 million next season. That’s not a cheap deal, but it’s a completely reasonable cap figure for a starting quarterback.

Recent trades of Matthew Stafford and Carson Wentz have only served to increase the trade value for starting signal-callers. It’s time for Las Vegas to turn Mariota into an asset they can actually use on the field in 2021. Here are three trades the Raiders should strongly consider.

3. Trade Mariota to Washington for draft capital

The easiest way to construct any Mariota deal is to make it a simple exchange for a draft pick. The Raiders might dream of getting a first or second rounder in exchange for Mariota, but that’s pure fantasy.

Instead, the team should set their sights on a decent pick in the middle rounds. Washington needs a quarterback and happens to possess two third round picks heading into April’s draft. Flipping Mariota for the worst of those (No. 83) would represent solid value for both sides. If they’re lucky, they can get an addition 2022 pick as a throw-in.

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