Nnamdi Asomugha Trade: Extreme Personnel Moves for the Oakland Raiders

A little what-if series with me playing Oakland Raiders GM. Something has been wrong in Oakland for years now. Maybe I can fix it, if only in my imagination. Raider Nation needs some hope.

First off, how important is a shut-down corner when your whole defense stinks? Nnamdi is underutilized and wasted on a horrible Oakland Raiders team. Has Nnamdi not suffered enough? The Oakland Raiders need to focus on creating a more balanced defense, trading Nnamdi might not be a quick fix, but I think it is better for the Oakland Raiders in the long run. This is a team game; the greatness of one player is wasted when the team loses.

A few Nnamdi Asomugha trade rumors swirled through the air this past offseason. Most fans like me dismissed them, but with a sub-par 1-3 start of the 2010 season is it time to shake things up. Let’s take a look at some trade possibilities.

The first team that immediately comes to mind is the New England Patriots. They have a top-notch defensive minded coach who would love a stud corner in his prime. The Patriots are a fading star in a tough division, which is only getting better and they have to keep pace; Brandon Marshall, Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards, and Lee Evans come to mind. 

I bring up the Patriots because of their constant abuse of the Raiders through recent trades. The Randy Moss move for a fourth-rounder, Richard Seymour for our first-rounder this season. Could they rob us again?

Saying the Raiders need some offensive line help, is an understatement. Guess what, the Patriots have a disgruntled All-Pro Logan Mankins who would fit nicely in Oakland. Add Mankins to our line opposite Robert Gallery and we could greatly improve a struggling offensive line. A straight up trade would be a steal for the Patriots. How about Mankins and a high draft pick? I do not see Oakland getting their first-rounder back, but a second or third-rounder would be nice.

It is official that the Philadelphia Eagles have a QB controversy, which is good news for teams in the market for a quarterback, like the Oakland Raiders. Barring Michael Vick’s injury being serious, a trade of Asomugha for an Eagles quarterback could benefit both teams. Either Kevin Kolb or Michael Vick would be a tremendous upgrade over anyone on Oakland’s roster.

Oakland’s new offensive coordinator needs a quarterback to grow with. The thought was Jason Campbell, but Oakland’s offensive line destroyed that thought. Michael Vick would be the probable candidate given our horrible O-line, also Kevin Kolb was deemed the future in Philly and signed a huge contract this offseason. Nnamdi Asomugha with the Eagles blitzing defense would be nasty, in a good way.

I love having a top-notch player of such high character on the Raiders, but the truth is, no matter how great Nnamdi Asomugha is, our defense still hasn’t stopped anybody in years. Nnamdi’s impact is limited because team’s game-plan around him. He is invisible on Sunday. Trading Nnamdi for a player of higher impact makes sense.

(Quick note: I spoke with Oakland beat writer Jerry Mac in a live chat on Tuesday. He said a Nnamdi trade would be nearly impossible because of his huge contract. What do you think?)