Raiders Called Strong Deadline Winners After Cousins Trade

Sometimes timing is everything when it comes to the trade deadline, and the Las Vegas Raiders nailed that part of it on Tuesday. They were labeled clear winners at the deadline by Jacob Robinson of The Athletic in his NFL Newsletter, and it wasn’t hard to figure out why when you put all the different parts and pieces together. 

Robinson called the trade a “no-brainer” for the Raiders, although coach Klint Kubiak might not agree with that assessment. He has a close relationship with quarterback Kirk Cousins, who was the proverbial “adult in the room” when the Raiders ran out to a 3-0 record to start the season. 

But Kubiak also knew that this move was inevitable, and it was just a matter of when. The Raiders defense has been badly outclassed against top competition, including the San Francisco 49ers, who beat the Raiders 38-17 on Sunday. 

Moreover, the Raiders got a third-round pick for Cousins, which is basically the jackpot for this kind of deadline day deal. The Raiders need the draft capital as badly as any team in the league, and this will allow them to go get another player. 

Robinson also called Cousins a winner as part of this transaction, and that makes sense as well. Cousins gets to play for a 6-2 team whose offense he knows, which will give him the opportunity to “play savior” for the Minnesota Vikings, to use Robinson’s term for it. 

Rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza is also a winner in this deadline assessment, although that comes with an important caveat. As Robinson noted, rhe 23-year-old's debut comes against Mike Macdonald's Seahawks defense, which is notoriously difficult for young quarterbacks to play against. Under Macdonald, Seattle is 11-2 against QBs age 24 or younger, so the his debut will come with a tough, challenging test.

On the Minnesota side of the ledger, coach Kevin O’Connell is the other clear winner here. He get to go from watching Carson Wentz deliver an unwatchable performance against the Buffalo Bills on Monday night to switch to an accomplished veteran who knows his offense and has been making smart decisions. 

Not everything will work out the way we all expect here, but it’s hard to argue against this trade overall. Both teams met needs and got what they wanted, and the new storylines should be fun to watch as the principals take the field this weekend.