The Las Vegas Raiders are notorious for holding onto their draft picks instead of using them to acquire established talent. Should they, perhaps, consider giving some of it up for All-Pro cornerback, Stephon Gilmore?
The Raiders’ strategy to emphasize the draft as their means of acquiring cornerstone players hasn’t yielded results. Since Jon Gruden returned, and more so since Mike Mayock became general manager, it could be argued the team has had more misses than hits. Funny enough, when Gruden does decide to pull the trigger on trades, they usually backfire. Nevertheless, the Raiders are in the midst of rebuilding their notoriously weak secondary. There’s plenty of talented youth in-house already but why not take a long look at Gilmore?
The idea was recently floated around by Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports. Essentially, Benjamin laid out a number of teams that could, in theory, pursue Gilmore. This is mostly based on need, which the Raiders apparently always have at cornerback.
“With just $3.9 million in cap space, this would require some serious financial finagling. But the Raiders have been porous on defense for a while. Can’t you just see Belichick coaxing premium picks out of Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock, who have to be desperate to shore up their young secondary?”
Can the Raiders afford it?
Unfortunately, acquiring a player as expensive as Gilmore might not be financially feasible. However, let’s face it, if Gruden wants a player, the Raiders will get him despite the price tag.
The question is, would Gilmore be so valuable that Gruden, Mayock, and co. would actually part ways with their beloved draft picks? Gilmore is 30-years-old, but his production speaks for itself as a four-time Pro Bowler. He was the AP Defensive Player of the Year just two years ago, the Raiders haven’t had a defensive player of this caliber since Khalil Mack still donned the Silver and Black.
As far as the New England Patriots are concerned, Gilmore continues to hold out this offseason. Apparently, Gilmore is in no hurry to leave his team but as well know, Bill Belichick doesn’t hesitate in moving on from players if he feels they’re expendable. Yes, Gilmore coming to Las Vegas might be a pipe dream but anything’s possible when it comes to Gruden and the Raiders.
You May Also Like: Predicting The Raiders 2021 Sack Total
*Top Photo: Winslow Townson/AP Images