Oakland Raiders: 5 Moves Silver and Black Should Make at NFL Trade Deadline

By (Correspondent) on October 30, 2012

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The Oakland Raiders will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 9.
Jamie Squire/Getty Images

With the midway point of the season set to pass, the Oakland Raiders are 3-4 and are sitting nicely in the disappointing AFC West.

They had a convincing win against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday and got a full team effort along the way. With that being said, it was only Kansas City.

The Raiders still have their needs on both sides of the ball. As mediocre as the AFC is this season, all it takes is one move for Oakland to be a serious threat in the playoff picture.

Let's take a look at five moves the Raiders could make at the trade deadline.

Trade for Osi Umenyiora

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Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

Osi Umenyiora's numbers may be down this season, but his ability to get after the quarterback still makes him one of the premier defensive ends in the NFL.

Umenyiora has recorded double-digit sacks three times during his career. The Giants are stacked on the defensive line and could save some money by trading Umenyiora.

The Raiders had a great defensive performance against the Chiefs in Week 8. Before that win however, they had been abysmal in terms of generating a pass rush.

Umenyiora would look good in silver and black.

Get Rid of Cooper Carlisle and/or Khalif Barnes

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Kirby Lee-US PRESSWIRE

Carson Palmer is playing well this year and it isn't because of his offensive line.

If having Greg Knapp as your offensive coordinator isn't bad enough, the Raiders have Khalif Barnes and Cooper Carlisle on their O-line as well.

Both players have disappointed this season and have had a difficult time protecting Palmer. With a young Tony Bergstrom waiting in the wings, it's time for the Raiders to part ways with these old, struggling linemen.

Trade Rolando McClain

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Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Rolando McClain is only two years removed from being the eighth-overall pick in the NFL Draft. Now his personal life has been brought into question and his performance on the field has been disappointing this season.

To make matters worse, McClain still has to spend 180 days in jail after being arrested on third-degree assault charges back in December 2011.

Oakland's general manager Reggie McKenzie has already implemented a new, disciplined way to run the organization. McClain's actions may hurt him in the long run both on and off the football field.

Part Ways with Richard Seymour and/or Tommy Kelly

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John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE

At this point in the season, it seems like the Raiders are paying their two interior linemen more for their names than they are for their talent.

Richard Seymour and Tommy Kelly have been nothing short of disappointing this season and are burning holes in the organization's wallet.

Oakland has waited for Seymour and Kelly to ignite its pass rush all season and it didn't happen until Week 8 against a weak offensive line. It shouldn't have taken that long.

Trade for Another Tight End

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Raj Mehta-US PRESSWIRE

Brandon Myers has quietly become one of the most reliable tight ends in the NFL. He's been Carson Palmer's go-to guy this season and leads the team with 31 catches.

Adding another tight end to compliment Myers gives the Raiders another weapon for Palmer to work with. Several teams have started experimenting with the two-tight end system and New England has mastered it.

The Raiders would benefit greatly from the services of Detroit's Brandon Pettigrew. The Lions have Tony Scheffler to replace Pettigrew if he were to leave, and Oakland's passing game would become one of the best in the league.

A Pettigrew-Myers combination wouldn't be as great as a Hernandez-Gronkowski combo, but it would make the Raiders more efficient in the red zone.

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