The Las Vegas Raiders are 3-0 and have yet to turn the offense over to Fernando Mendoza. Their unexpected start could create an interesting decision before the NFL trade deadline.
The Raiders could be surprise buyers at the NFL trade deadline
No one expected the Raiders to sit at 3-0 heading into Week 4.
If they keep winning, Dan Graziano of ESPN Las Vegas believes it could be a buyer before the Nov. 1 trade deadline. 10, with the wide receiver standing as a position to watch.
The interesting part is not just adding another weapon for the existing offense.
It could be about Mendoza.
“If the Raiders pull off another upset or two in the next month and reach the deadline above .500, it’s not at all likely that they’ll want to bolster their wide receiver corps for rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza whenever the time comes to make him the starter,” Graziano wrote.
Mendoza is the No. 1 overall pick in April and spent the start of his rookie season behind the veteran Kirk Cousins.
Las Vegas didn’t have to rush that transition as it won. However, it can begin to prepare for it.
The Raiders have reason to look at wide receivers
The Raiders’ 3-0 record may mask some of the questions surrounding their receiving corps.
Vegas wide receivers combined for just six catches and 63 yards in Sunday’s 35-27 win over the New Orleans Saints. Tre Tucker had four of those receptions and 43 yards.
There is also damage to consider.
Second-round pick Jack Bech suffered a broken forearm against New Orleans and is expected to miss time. That leaves a thin position with one more question heading into October.
Brock Bowers gives the Raiders an elite receiving option at tight end, but surrounding Mendoza with another legitimate wide receiver will make sense when Las Vegas decides he’s ready.
A 3-0 start could change the Raiders’ trade deadline
This should not be the talk around Las Vegas.
The Raiders entered the season with a rookie quarterback waiting behind Cousins and plenty of reason to think beyond 2026. Instead, three straight wins gave them another option.
They don’t have to choose between developing for the future and trying to win now.
A receiver can achieve both.
The next month should determine how aggressive Las Vegas is. If the Raiders are still above .500 as the deadline approaches, their start could do more than change expectations for this season.
It can also speed up the plan around Mendoza.