OCTOBER 22: While owner Mark Davis told Russini at the annual fall meetings last week that the team is trying to win and not sell, Renfrow remains available (subscription required). The problem, as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes in a subscriber-only piece, is the $10.82MM in salary and roster bonuses that Renfrow is due this year. A little over half of that amount would become the responsibility of an acquiring team if Renfrow were dealt at the deadline, and the Raiders are presently unwilling to pick up any portion of the tab to facilitate a deal.
If the Raiders and another club can come to terms on the financial components of a trade, Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports hears that Renfrow could be had for nothing more than a late-round selection.
OCTOBER 15: The Raiders would like to add a pass rusher in advance of the October 31 trade deadline — preferably without sacrificing any draft picks — and they are apparently willing to do some selling as well. Per Dianna Russini of The Athletic (subscription required), the club is trying to deal wide receiver Hunter Renfrow.
That represents a departure from the team’s stance in July, when it was reported that the Raiders were not shopping the 27-year-old slot man. Of course, even if Las Vegas was not actively calling teams to discuss a Renfrow trade, it has been clear for some time that GM Dave Ziegler and HC Josh McDaniels are willing to move the Mike Mayock draftee. Indeed, a report from May indicated that Renfrow would almost certainly be elsewhere by 2024, the last year of his current deal.
In 2022, the first year of the McDaniels/Ziegler partnership in Las Vegas, Renfrow took a major step back from the 103/1,038/9 line that earned him a Pro Bowl nod in 2021 and a two-year, $32MM extension last June. While Ziegler and McDaniels signed off on that investment, Renfrow has proven to be a poor fit in McDaniels’ offense, especially since McDaniels cut down on the route improvisations that Jon Gruden encouraged. The fact that Renfrow was limited to 10 games in 2022 due to a number of injury concerns certainly did not help matters.
This season, the Clemson product has appeared in all five of the Raiders’ games but has seen just nine targets, which he has converted into six receptions for 59 yards. On the other hand, his abilities, youth, and Pro Bowl pedigree would make him an attractive change-of-scenery prospect for any number of teams. While his $11.15MM base salary for 2024 is a bit hefty in light of his 2022-23 output, that number could easily be lowered with an extension or could be removed entirely if Renfrow struggles in new environs.
At the risk of burying the lede, Russini has heard whispers that McDaniels’ job could be in jeopardy if the 2-3 Raiders do not start winning more games. It is unclear, however, whence those whispers emanate, and the fact that McDaniels does not wish to trade draft capital to acquire a pass rusher, is prepared to part ways with a talented wideout for what would presumably be minimal compensation, and considered a trade-down manuever in the first round of the 2023 draft suggests that he is not overly concerned about his job status.
For what it’s worth, owner Mark Davis offered an emphatic endorsement of McDaniels in November, though it does not appear Davis gave McDaniels any guarantees that he would remain the Raiders’ HC into 2024.
McDaniels needs to find a better way to use Renfrow, rather than trade him. You’d think that a route running specialist who works well inside would be a staple of a McDaniels offense, but I guess not.
With all due respect to what Adams and Meyers bring to the table, it would be better to put a good weapon like Renfrow in better situations. That would only help the Raiders’ offense. That’s just my opinion.
Whomever gets Renfrow will appreciate what he brings to the table, especially if they have a good quarterback who works well through progressions from the pocket.
Didn’t NE use small slot WR’s for a whole bunch of rings?????
Yup. That’s why I don’t get it. They ran a lot of those types of routes with Garappolo, too. So I don’t quite get it.
It’s truly one of the most absurd things I’ve ever seen. They won 6 superbowls!!! They owned 2 decades of football. They over took the Yankees & Cowboys for the premier franchise. And rightfully so, 17 division titles and 6 super bowls out of 8 times there in 20 years; insane. No team will come close to that, let alone top their excellence.
But on their own, they can’t do squat??? Less Tom’s success in TB, not a single coach or front office person went on to build winning teams. How is that possible?
That’s the thing. I suppose parts of a whole can’t see how they fit individually into the bigger picture. Brady, if anything, had the easiest transition-he just had to keep doing what he was doing. The front office and coaching staff probably don’t really realize just how different things are everywhere else. But this is all speculation. It could be wrong. I doubt we’ll ever know all the specifics. Jon Robinson, though, does deserve credit for not having a losing season after leaving NE, despite inheriting a really bad team.
You’d think that McDaniels, though, would have learned from his failures in Denver in regards to being inflexible. Maybe he will, he still has time. Luckily for him, the Broncos are still giving him a little cushion still.
I had the utmost respect for what they achieved. We all did. Tom certainly left for a stacked roster & I expected the Pat’s following season to be bad from the cap. But it’s worse now 4 years later. Josh and the GM in Vegas are clueless, Vikings D under Brian F is still bad, & Texans may be 500 after 4 years of their GM. As former high level staff members.
Bill should retire. He’s only tarnishing his historic legacy. But clearly knew which buttons to push on Tom!
Fair points.
I renewed a prescription today. I must be suffering strange side effects because I think I just saw AK185 leave a two word comment… which is unheard of.
Believe it.
Arty has the utmost respect for spying on opponents, running it up, deflating footballs, not to mention gangbangers in the team.
While the Foxboro Cheatriots lost in Las Vegas and brought Belichick’s reign one step closer to an end, the Jets defeated the last unbeaten team remaining.
The spying is defenseless, I agree. Running it up, that’s their job. The NFL isn’t pop warner football where that’s bad sportsmanship. It tells your next opponent ‘we’re coming’. Aaron? Which team never deals with a player being arrested every year? Deflated footballs was dumb. All of a sudden the NFL doesn’t want offenses to score? I’m not defending Tom, but the amount of air in a football really matters that much to you?
I didn’t even know air pressure was checked. As much BS as the tuck rule was. Never heard of either before or after again.
@Chucky / And it only took the Jets 13 tries and 40 years to finally win a game vs the Eagles…lol
A lot of the reasons for that success were illegal and the NFL took away their ability to continue those activities.
An OC looks like a genius when they know exactly what the defense will do.
He also looks great when deflated footballs lead to the lowest turnover rate in history.
A DC looks awesome when that combination keeps his crew on the sidelines and guaranteed to win the turnover differential.
It’s impossible to look that good when everyone is playing by the same rules. This is too tough of a league.
I agree with that 100%. Not a single front office staff promoted to GM, or an assistant coach promoted to HC has ever had even .500 football away from there & most don’t last more than 3 years at the new position. All of the coaches come across to being very similar to Bill; grumpy, non-friendly, power hungry jerks. There’s a reason for that and it very well could be cheating.
And to your point, Josh was busted in Denver for doing similar cheating scandals as well.
Why would the Raiders sell low on Renfrow because he doesn’t fit in the HC they are about to fires, offense? Those are moves you make with the next guy. I think Renfrow will be just fine once he gets away from the guy who made his entire career off of Brady.
Be thinking the Vikings should be interested or Colts?
So mcdoogul had use of Edelman and Welker so a body would think he’d utilize Renfrow in that vein along with the rookie TE…….but NO he’d rather be egoistical thinking he actually is a championship caliber HC…….hahahahaha another LV comedian
Cousins and Renfrow would be an interesting combination. He could fill a lot of the same role as Theilen. I could see Buffalo (or New York, if Rodgers was healthy) making use of Renfrow, because the Bills tried several times (Beasley, McKenzie, etc) to feature a slot pass catcher in the last few years. But yeah, he’s a player who could go a lot of places.
Daboll, who also has some NE history, probably would like Renfrow, but I don’t think that the Giants are set up to make full use of his style. Cincinatti would be a great fit, but they have two rookies and Boyd already, and so don’t need Renfrow (especially since Burrow is injured as is). The Rams could use him. The Cowboys could utilize him similar to how they used to use Beasley. There are a lot of teams that could use Renfrow. He’s a great route runner and a smart player in the slot.
There’s also the possibility that New Orleans gives Carr a boon and brings Renfrow there. Allen is a defensive coach anyway, and may allow his QB some say in bringing him in. Thing is, Olave works in a lot of the areas that Renfrow does. But, as the article pointed out, Renfrow excels at improvisation based on opposing defenses. That is a skill that relies a lot also on quarterback familiarity and connection. For that reason, I think that a reunion with Carr isn’t out of the question, even with Olave there.
I’d like to see him on the Chargers squad but inter-division trade isn’t likely BUT if he’s released……maybe….
Renfrow could be a solid fit for chiefs bears broncos or cardinals
I would not mind seeing Renfrow on the Bucs or Chargers
Raiders are playing better, but I miss Gruden
Trade Renfrow to the Jets for Lawson. Lawson is a pass rusher on expiring deal, Renfrow is a slot on an expiring deal. Fill a need for both teams.
With Kelce being so great at improvising his routes, and his connection with Mahomes, I’m curious if Renfrow could be another excellent weapon for the Chiefs.
They did just acquire Mecole Hardman back, but that still shouldn’t limit them with the struggles they’ve had at the WR position since JJ Smith-Shuster left.
What’s apparent from these posts-
Fans recognize player value and abilities
McDaniels doesn’t see either and is a piss poor HC
Mark Davis is listening to the wrong consultants
Renfrow could / would be better utilized by, at a minimum, 1/3rd of teams throughout the league!
The FO are idiots, and have been for at least 5 years. We beat a couple of weak teams, and trying to convince ourselves that we are contenders. If the Bears didn’t dispel that illusion, nothing will.
And if they want to trade Renfrow, how about showcasing the guy? I know he hasn’t been healthy, but even in the five games he actually played, he has 12 targets.
Renfrow and a solid offensive lineman to the Jets for Lawson and a late draft pick! Helps both teams.
Trade him to the Jets for Lawson
Given that Renfro has had a total of 6 targets over the last three GAMES it would seem that there simply aren’t enough footballs to go around.
I hoping Aldon Smith can get permission from his parole officer to rejoin the Raiders as a pass rusher.
He’s good, the Raiders coach just doesn’t know how to use him, he’s got one of the best wide receivers in the game in Adams….I guess….and he doesn’t know how to use him either….there’s a definite coaching problem in Vegas, he might’ve been a good coordinator but McDaniels sucks as a coach, what a waste of talent with Crosby , Adams and Jacobs
……and to the guy that said he’d make a great Chief, sure he would, but the Chiefs don’t have the cap space, the reason they didn’t bring back Ju-Ju or sign D’Hop in the off-season was because of the Chris Jones contract situation holding them up, even with some re-worked deals there’s barely room to sign Frank Clark, if indeed they do….caps tight, no way they can, or would, fit Renfrow’s contract in