As yet another talented, offensive star finds a home somewhere other than Las Vegas, the Raiders are sending a quiet, yet crystal clear message about their offense. While trading for a Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, or Julio Jones would have taken a chunk out of the foundation the Raiders have already established, if the Raiders felt they needed them, they would have pursued them at least a bit more aggressively. The NFL revolves around headlines and the Raiders refused to take the bait.
Clear Message
The message that the Raiders are sending, while not exactly calling attention to it, is that the front office and coaches like very much where this team is currently at and where it is heading. Many see the Raiders as a team with just a few pieces missing from competing, but the decision-makers in the Raiders organization may be higher on the team than the experts.
Downside
Admittedly, it felt like Julio Jones could have helped this team take the next step. Proven talent can be hard to come by in this league, and frankly, it is hard to find in the Raiders wide receiver room. Now, this is not advocating the signing of a veteran wide receiver, who may be significantly past his prime, to bring some experience to the youthful receiving corps because Julio Jones still has some gas in the tank.
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Risk
Additionally, Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock are toeing the line of overstaying their welcome. For the Raiders to have this much hype and excitement around them, yet minimal production has led Gruden to sour on some fans. Both Gruden and Mayock know the clock is ticking, they cannot be too concerned with the future as they must survive the present in order to get there. If trading for Julio could have bettered the Raiders in 2021, without tearing up core players, it would be hard to believe the Raiders would not throw a couple of lines in the water.
Best Move
However, Julio was certainly available for the taking. The former Atlanta Falcons wide receiver was (unknowingly) open with the fact that he was not coming back to Atlanta, which may have sunk his trade value a bit. At a time, Atlanta was not requesting a first-round pick for one of the best receivers in the league. Are the Raiders that sold on their current offensive unit?
Standing Pat
Regardless of how they feel, the Raiders have once again passed up an opportunity to potentially improve their team, instead favoring the group they have in front of them. As he ages, Julio is certainly not a lock to continue putting up jaw-dropping numbers, but it would be difficult to believe that he and Derek Carr would struggle to find a connection.
On to September
Nevertheless, the Raiders appear to have shut all doors regarding bringing in an additional offensive star, providing something to be said about a general loyalty. But, should the offense not work out, that loyalty could look awfully foolish.