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Las Vegas Raiders safety Jeremy Chinn.
The Las Vegas Raiders have had a very hard time building the roster, as they keep cycling through different head coaches with different visions. Now that Klint Kubiak is coming in, the team should have a coach they feel comfortable building around for at least a few years.
He’s going to bring in a new defensive coordinator, who will likely have a much different style than former head coach Pete Carroll. One of the big free agent signings the Raiders made last year was safety Jeremy Chinn.
His big body and athleticism made him a perfect fit for Carroll and the type of defense he wants to play. Chinn is a versatile player who can play safety, nickel cornerback and linebacker.
Even if he doesn’t necessarily fit the same way he did under Carroll, he’s still a valuable player to have around. He’s also only 27, so it’s not like he doesn’t fit a potential rebuild timeline.
That said, he’s already entering a contract year and could have some value on the trade market. Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report named every team’s best trade assets, and Chinn was one of the names mentioned for the Raiders.
“Jeremy Chinn would be another valuable asset to the right team,” Ballentine wrote. “The 6’3″, 220-pound safety is most useful in the box, so it’s unclear if he’ll be a better fit elsewhere with a new coaching staff coming in.”
Should Raiders Trade Chinn?
The Raiders don’t have a ton of talent on defense, so trading a starter could be a tough pill to swallow. Chinn could have a lot of value for the defense.
At the same time, the Raiders need to be more concerned about the future than the 2026 season. If they don’t see Chinn as being part of the long-term vision, then there’s no reason to keep him if an appealing trade offer comes along.
It’s hard to know how much he could fetch in a trade. Perhaps he could get the Raiders a fourth-round pick. That might be enough to convince them to make a move. The Raiders’ secondary is very thin, so there’s no guarantee they’d even consider moving him.
Alex Cappa Could Also Be Traded
One player who shouldn’t be back in 2026 is offensive lineman Alex Cappa. He could barely get on the field, but when he did, he played poorly.
He was one of the first additions general manager John Spytek made after taking the job last year, but he’s not somebody who should be getting snaps for a rebuilding team.
The Raiders have to give those snaps to young players. Ballentine does think he could have some value on the trade market.
“Alex Cappa won’t command nearly that much attention,” Ballentine wrote. “He struggled as the team’s center this season, but he has 104 starts under his belt and can play both center and guard.”
The Raiders can’t expect much of a return if they trade Cappa. At best, a late-round pick swap is what they’d be looking at. It’s more likely that he gets cut.
Austin Boyd has covered the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Lakers for Heavy.com since 2019. A Los Angeles native now based in Las Vegas, his featured work at Heavy includes interviews with NFL stars Darren Waller and Joe Montana, and a behind-the-scenes look at “The Shop.” More about Austin Boyd
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