New York Jets

The Oakland Raiders Should Trade For Sheldon Richardson

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 3:02 p.m. ET

Fansided, Mario Tovar/FanSided via Just Blog Baby

The Oakland Raiders are finally competitive again, and adding a player like Sheldon Richardson could put them over the top.

The Oakland Raiders heavily publicized defensive struggles last season have left fans wondering what general manager Reggie McKenzie will do next. It’s no secret that there were a lot of trade deadline rumors surrounding Sheldon Richardson and the New York Jets. But ultimately, nothing came of those rumors.

Now that the Raiders have been sent home early for the playoffs — thanks partly to a Ken Norton coached defense that didn’t live up to expectations — adding a player the caliber of Richardson would greatly help.

And once again, this rumor won’t seem to go away, as the Jets are once again looking to trade Richardson.

Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin are undoubtedly the machines that power the defense, but they can’t turn it around alone, as we’ve seen. Between the two pass rushers, they delivered 18 sacks out of the team’s total 25 — 72 percent. Good for them, bad for everyone else.

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Richardson had subpar numbers last year, with only one and a half sacks, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and 38 tackles. But Richardson would excel with two players who see double coverage, in Mack and Irvin. Another way to look at it would be if Richardson is commanding attention, that would allow for Mack and Irvin to tee off. The trio would give opposing coordinators nightmares.

Not to mention Mario Edwards Jr. and Aldon Smith.

Only two seasons ago Richardson was a Pro Bowler, with 8 sacks and 42 tackles. That’s the guy the Raiders need. But does he still have that in him? He’s only 26 and a fresh start paired with the surrounding talent could be exactly what he needs to get back on track.

To make a splash and grab headlines with such a potential trade doesn’t seem to be McKenzie’s philosophy — this isn’t an Al Davis operation anymore. However, as we’ve seen in the past, sometimes to get the team over the hump requires to go out of your comfort zone. Locking up Mack and Derek Carr are priorities but we’ve seen what the current personnel can do and it won’t be good enough. Richardson could be a missing piece in giving the Raiders a defense like the one they saw in their only playoff game in Houston.

Richardson is only signed through the 2017 season, but a long-term deal, given his age, is certainly an option.

With that said, Raider fans expect nothing less than a Super Bowl parade next year, so we’ll see if McKenzie can make a splash and deliver a blow to opposing offenses. If available for a second-round pick, McKenzie should jump at the chance to bring Sheldon on board.