It’s been an interesting week for the Silver and Black in terms of revelations. Yes, Darren Waller is gone, but it’s now been confirmed that a trade involving the Pro Bowl tight end should’ve taken place earlier. In this latest edition of Raiders Notes, we also take a look at what went down with New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones. Suffice to say, it was a whole lot of nothing.
The Raiders and Darren Waller were headed for a divorce since last year
Waller proved to be one of the more intriguing subjects of debate this offseason. If you recall, many fans wanted him gone while he dealt with his hamstring injury. Some questioned his desire to play, pointing to developments off the field that had nothing to do with the Raiders. However, once his trade became official, the tide turned. Let’s just call a spade a spade here: many fans just aren’t happy with any move this regime makes. The fact is, Waller’s trajectory shows he’s on the decline due to his health, and it was best to part ways now. In return, Dave Ziegler and Co. got the 100th overall selection in this year’s NFL Draft.
Speaking of that compensation, Waller’s agent did make it public recently that the Raiders nearly made a deal last year. Drew Rosenhaus, Waller’s agent, was on the Pat McAfee Show this week and spilled some of the tea in regard to that notion.
“Darren was very nearly traded last offseason. The Packers and the Dolphins were very interested in Darren at that time, but the trade didn’t happen. The Raiders pulled back I think right before those deals could get done.”
Did Dave Ziegler hold onto Darren Waller for one year too long?
It’s plausible that said teams would’ve given up more draft capital for Waller before his stock took somewhat of a dive. Regardless, what’s interesting is that Rosenhaus threw in there that he felt his client and the Raiders never had a “great relationship.” Maybe both sides were just looking for any excuse to part ways. That was, of course, after head coach Josh McDaniels publicly stated the tight end was a big part of future plans. Looking back, maybe Waller’s trade was the big plan they had all along. It’s obvious that Ziegler and the rest of the team brass thought they could win with Waller, Derek Carr, and Co.; otherwise, why give No. 83 a new contract? Once they made up their minds that Waller wasn’t part of the solution, it was just a matter of time before they traded him.
Was Mac Jones ever in play for the Raiders?
Every offseason, the Raiders are mentioned in a litany of “reports” involving countless teams and players. Still, more often than not, nothing comes of it. Raiders fans were likely dreading the idea of Ziegler giving up draft picks for Mac Jones. Another McDaniels pupil in Jones, going after the Patriots signal-caller, would’ve made sense. More so when you consider he doesn’t have the durability concerns that have plagued Jimmy Garoppolo.
Nevertheless, the report that surfaced via Pro Football Talk alluded to the Raiders as a destination for Jones. Well, it turns out that wasn’t exactly accurate. Patriots reporter Mark Daniels made it known that the Patriots, for their part, didn’t direct any inquiries to the Raiders. “That’s news to me,” said Daniels. Once again, PFT and Mike Florio have taken a hit with another one of their insider stories debunked.
How about it, Raiders fans? Would you have taken Jones over “Jimmy G?”
*Top Photo: Raiders YouTube Channel
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