Sitting at 4-3 with a home game against the Buccaneers lowly defense ahead of them
Preston Brown Jersey , the Bengals are still in a decent position to accomplish something with their season. The 1-5 Raiders can’t quite say the same thing, and
their head coach Jon Gruden probably knows it.Before the start of the season,
Gruden dealt away his best player Khalil Mack to the Bears in the blockbuster
deal of the year. Without their 2014 first-round pick who was due for a gigantic
new contract on the books anymore, conventional wisdom told us the Raiders were
going to use that money to pay for their 2015 first-round pick Amari Cooper.
Then trade rumors regarding Cooper started to surface and Gruden attempted to
downplay them like any coach. But we know what happened next.Cooper was traded
to the receiver-needy Cowboys for a first-round pick, giving the Raiders three
of them including their own for the 2019 NFL Draft. If it wasn’t obvious before,
it’s clear Gruden has his eyes on Las Vegas and Las Vegas only for when the
Raiders move their in 2020, when he will still have eight years left on his
contract. So, who else is not in Gruden’s long-term plan? Well, if we asked
Gruden, he’d say he’s done acquiring draft picks for players he doesn’t want.But
we’re not so easily tricked.The Raiders are not the only team that has been and
will continue to be busy before next week’s trade deadline
Cordy Glenn Jersey , but they are a team that possesses an asset the Bengals could certainly use.Tight end Jared Cook is on the second year of his two-year
contract with the Raiders, so he’s not one of the free agents that Gruden
brought in. At 31 years old, he doesn’t offer much long-term potential as a
10-year veteran. Cook is the Raiders leading receiver in every basic statistic
besides touchdowns and yards per reception, which he’s second on the team in
both. Aside from two outstanding games though, Cook has been just serviceable.
In his last two games, he has 30 yards on eight targets.The Raiders are 23rd in
adjusted net yards per attempt and expected points on offense with Cook being
essentially their No. 1 receiving option. They have just Lee Smith and Derrick
Carrier behind him, but does Cook being around for the team’s second half of the
season really mean anything? He could mean something to the Bengals.With Mason
Schreck being the latest tight end to go down, the Bengals are left with just
C.J. Uzomah, Matt Lengel, and Jordan Franks
Randy Bullock Jersey , who was promoted off the practice squad following Schreck’s designation to injured reserve. The price for Cooks in a trade would
also presumably be minimal. Aside from the Cooper transaction, trades from
around the league have consisted entirely of day three draft picks. Running back
Carlos Hyde was traded to the Jaguars for a fifth-round pick. Cornerback Eli
Apple was traded to the Saints for a fourth-round pick and a seventh-round pick
in 2020. And those were just underachieving players. All-Pro nose tackle Damon
Harrison was traded to the Lions for a fifth-round pick. In this market, Cook
isn’t worth anything more than a fifth-round pick. To the Bengals, that’s
valuable capital, but in reality, it isn’t. Just look at this year. The Bengals
had six draft picks beyond the fourth round of the draft. Only one, cornerback
Darius Phillips, is on the active roster right now, and it took him five weeks
to get on the field for the defense.Cook would be able to come in and provide
immediate depth for Uzomah for practically no cost. With his ability to stress
defenses vertically, he may even be a better replacement for Tyler Eifert. What
it comes down to is whether or not the Bengals believe they can truly compete
for something meaningful from where they stand right now. Mike Brown and his
staff does not give away draft picks very often
Womens Alex Erickson Jersey , but there aren’t many better options in the short-term.Despite Gruden’s words, the Raiders are selling to anyone who’s
listening. The Bengals may’ve been screwed at the trade deadline last year, but
they can accomplish something this time around in saving Cooks from the fire
sale that’s surrounding him. There is no love lost between Browns quarterback
Baker Mayfield and Browns head coach-turned-Bengals assistant coach Hue
Jackson.After Mayfield threw four touchdown passes in a win over the Bengals
today, Jackson approached him on the field and tried to give him a hug. But
Mayfield, who had been hugging Bengals players before Jackson tried to hug him,
stuck a hand out to ensure there would be nothing more than a handshake.Talking
to reporters after the game, Mayfield made clear that he’s not a fan of the fact
that Jackson, who was fired at midseason, went to help out a division
rival.“Left Cleveland, goes down to Cincinnati
Womens Jessie Bates III Jersey , that’s just somebody that’s in our locker room, asking us to play for him, and then goes to a team that we play twice a
year? Everybody can have their spin on it, but that’s how I feel,” Mayfield
said.After Jackson was fired, he went on a media tour in which he said he was
hoping the Browns would draft Carson Wentz or Patrick Mahomes. Mayfield
apparently noticed, and did not appreciate it.
