The 2023 season has not gone according to plan thus far for the Las Vegas Raiders. They have struggled in virtually every facet of the game, as frustrations have begun mounting among the star players on the team.
Wide receiver Davante Adams and running back Josh Jacobs have not been shy when it comes to voicing their displeasure about losses piling up. Despite some strong efforts from those two, the team has constantly found ways to come up short.
Star pass rusher Maxx Crosby has echoed those sentiments as losing takes a toll on everyone. Defensively is where the Raiders have found most of their issues once again, especially when it comes to their pass rush.
Crosby has been a one-man wrecking crew as the only Raiders play with multiple sacks thus far this season. He has 4.0 while the rest of the team combined has only 3.0. A big reason for that lack of complementary pass rush is the absence of Chandler Jones.
Jones was released recently after having some run-ins with the law. He made some bizarre social media posts in recent weeks as well and he claims to have been forced into a mental health facility.
Whatever it is that happened between Jones and the Raiders, it has led to the parties parting ways. In need of some pass-rushing help, Dianna Russini of The Athletic has reported that Las Vegas is looking to make a deal ahead of the October 31st trade deadline.
“The Raiders have been busy making calls around the league looking for a pass rusher since releasing Chandler Jones. They are looking for a player-for-player swap and may not want to give up too much.”
Las Vegas is in a tough spot because their season is hanging on by a thread. They are 1-3 as they are set to host the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football to finish up Week 5.
A loss there would make for a deep hole to climb out of, especially in the competitive AFC. At that point, it could be hard for ownership to justify the front office making a move to bring a player in when selling and stockpiling future assets could be their best course of action.
