One of the most surprising deals of the offseason so far was the trade of Darren Waller from the Raiders to the Giants in exchange for pick No. 100. It’s been rumored for some time that the Raiders would trade Waller, but only getting a compensatory third-round pick does feel cheap.
So, how would you grade the trade of Waller by the Las Vegas Raiders? They were able to save $11 million against the cap and big up a Day 2 pick. But they lost one of the most dynamic tight ends in all of football.
Pro Football Focus gave the Raiders a grade of “C+” for the trade, citing the cap reasons behind the move:
The Raiders deserve some credit for ensuring Waller’s extension signed last offseason did not preclude a trade for a player they’ve explored moving on multiple occasions, but after signing Jimmy Garoppolo, you immediately get rid of a difference-making weapon.
This trade would make more sense if the Raiders had a viable tight end on the roster to replace Waller. But with Foster Moreau still on the open market as a free agent, the cupboard is pretty bare at tight end for the Raiders.
While there are still a lot of moving parts here, it’s certainly a questionable move by the front office of the Raiders. So how would you grade the trade now that we are a few days out?
