Cornerback was one of the Las Vegas Raiders‘ biggest needs heading into the offseason but the team has been surprisingly lax when it comes to addressing it. The team didn’t sign any notable cornerbacks and waited until the fourth round to draft one in the 2024 NFL Draft.
However, that doesn’t mean the team can’t still find an impact cornerback. The New Orleans Saints used a second-round pick on Kool-Aid McKinstry, which could mean they’re open to the idea of moving from star cornerback Marshon Lattimore.
This led to Dallas Robinson of Pro Football Focus pitching a trade that would send Lattimore to the Raiders for a conditional 2025 fifth-round pick that would turn into a fourth-round pick based on playing time.
“Drafting a second-round cornerback might not have signaled a potential Lattimore trade on its own,” Robinson wrote in a May 6 column. “However, as Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap wrote in March, New Orleans restructured Lattimore’s contract this offseason to allow for a post-June 1 trade.
“Las Vegas desperately needs cornerback help but didn’t select a CB until Day 3 (Mississippi State’s Decamerion Richardson). Depending on whether they pick up his option, the Raiders could have Lattimore under contract in 2024 with a cap charge below $4 million.”
Lattimore is a four-time Pro Bowler and is only 27 years old. However, he’s missed a combined 17 games the last two seasons due to injuries, which is likely why Robinson thinks he could be traded for such a low price.
New Orleans Saints Not ‘Actively’ Looking to Trade Marshon Lattimore
Lattimore has been one of the Saints’ best players since joining the team in 2017. New Orleans continues to deal with salary cap issues and moving on from Lattimore’s five-year, $97.6 million contract could be appealing.
General manager Mickey Loomis recently discussed the possibility of trading the cornerback and he certainly didn’t say it wouldn’t happen.
“When a guy is a really good player for your team, they’re not on the market per se, but there are times when you get a call and somebody makes a proposal and it might make sense for you,” Loomis said on the May 3 episode of “Schein on Sports.” “That’s true for any player on your team. If you get an offer you can’t refuse, you at least have to look at it. So, that’s what I would say. I’m not actively trying to trade Marshon. Marshon is such a good player, he’s an elite corner. He’s had some injuries the last couple seasons that have kept him off the field, and we’ve got to get over that. It’s not his fault, it’s just circumstances. That’s just where we’re at.”
Should Las Vegas Raiders Pursue Marshon Lattimore?
Lattimore’s injury history makes him a risky trade target for any team but a conditional fifth-round pick would be giving away very little to get one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. He also only has two years remaining on his contract so if he couldn’t stay healthy, the Raiders wouldn’t be stuck with him for too long.
It’s hard to see how Las Vegas could turn down this trade proposal. They’d get a legit star cornerback who is only 27 for a fourth-round pick at most. The injuries are a serious concern but he’s still young enough to make a recovery. Adding Lattimore would give the Raiders a legit secondary and they could end up having a top-five defense next season.
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