Oakland Raiders: 3 trades that could send Ezekiel Elliott to Oakland

Trade 1: 2020 First (OAK), 2021 First (OAK), and Hunter Renfrow (WR) for Ezekiel Elliott

We’re going to start by taking a look at the trade suggested by the fake report on Twitter that got people talking in the first place. That “report” has sadly since been deleted.

In this trade, the Raiders would be shipping off two first-round picks in consecutive years along with wide receiver Hunter Renfrow.

Renfrow wouldn’t be the centerpiece of this deal, but he would surely be an enticing piece to add to a Cowboys offense that will lean heavily on Dak Prescott to lead Dallas to the promised land.

Dallas had plenty of opportunities to select Renfrow in this year’s NFL Draft, so his value is muted in that regard, but he has shown that he’s a capable player. He serves as a prototypical slot receiver that showed proficiency in catching everything that was headed his way during his time at Clemson.

Renfrow was selected in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft but has shown more promise than what you might expect of a later-round pick.

In 2018, he won the Burlsworth Trophy, which is given to the best college player that began his career as a walk on. He’s received praise throughout the preseason from both coaches and teammates alike.

There’s a lot to be excited about when it comes to a player like Renfrow, who will certainly be a feature in the Raiders’ offense come Week 1. He has all kinds of potential to succeed while staying under the radar.

Renfrow wouldn’t automatically become Dallas’ number one option by any stretch of the imagination, but he would strengthen a receiving core that recently lost out on Cole Beasley, who had 672 yards on 65 receptions for the Cowboys last season.

The thing that tips the balance here and gets the immediate attention of the Cowboys is the temptation of not one but two first-round picks.

Regardless of whether the Raiders have Elliott or not, they’re still tucked into one of the toughest divisions in football. They could realistically take major strides forward this season and not even escape being in last place.

That, of course, makes any first-round pick with Oakland’s name attached to it very valuable to other teams.

While players might rapidly depreciate, high-value picks like the ones included in this trade allow a team like the Cowboys not only to get value back on an asset that wasn’t contributing for the season but would also allow them to control their own destiny.

This trade would have massive implications on the Cowboys future. They would conceivably be able to stock up on two good draft picks while still managing to go for it this year with the addition of a contributing receiver.

It might be hard to cut ties with an elite running back, but it’s just as difficult — if not more difficult — to balk at two first-round picks being thrown at you for someone who might sit out half of the season.