Raiders Trade Rumors: LV Eyes Pass Rusher at Deadline After Chandler Jones' Release

The Las Vegas Raiders are reportedly in pursuit of a pass rusher ahead of the Oct. 31 trade deadline.

Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported the Raiders are looking to improve their pass rush after releasing Chandler Jones amid his arrest for violating a protective order. However, Russini notes Las Vegas is "looking for a player-for-player swap and may not want to give up too much."

The Raiders' struggles on defense have largely come against the run, as they rank 26th in the NFL giving up 134.3 yards per game on the ground. They have been much better against the pass but have not been able to generate a consistent pass rush. Las Vegas has racked up just seven sacks through four weeks, tying for the third-worst mark in the NFL.

Maxx Crosby has been responsible for four of those seven sacks, while rookie first-round pick Tyree Wilson has been a major disappointment to start his NFL career. Wilson's put together just four tackles and zero sacks through four weeks, and the Raiders have had him on the field for only 110 snaps thus far.

Jones did not play for the Raiders this season before his release. The team placed him on the non-football injury list in September after a series of posts on social media. Coach Josh McDaniels described Jones' absence as a "personal situation," though the former Pro Bowler was critical of his coach and general manager Dave Ziegler on social media.

The Raiders are off to a 1-3 start and desperately need to turn things around for McDaniels and Ziegler to avoid the hot seat. Las Vegas is 7-14 since McDaniels took over a team that made the playoffs in 2021 despite the midseason resignation of then-coach Jon Gruden.