What Raiders' Week 5 Loss Changed About Its Trade Deadline Plans

The Las Vegas Raiders are coming off their worst performance of the year after a Week 5 blowout loss to the New England Patriots. Las Vegas entered the game 3-1 and looked like one of the league's best teams. However, the Patriots quickly confirmed that Las Vegas has a long way to go.

Where Raiders Stand After Week 5

The Raiders' front office was diligent this offseason, making a slew of changes that quickly helped Las Vegas rise above the league's worst teams. However, Klint Kubiak and the Raiders' coaching staff were always honest about where the team stood.

The Raiders' past two games reminded everyone of their roster deficiencies, even after a quality offseason. Las Vegas has improved, but it is still a young team in the early stages of a rebuild and is currently on a two-game losing streak.

After starting the season 3-0 with wins over teams they would have lost to a season ago, the Raiders' offseason progress was undeniable. Yet Sunday's double-digit road loss to the defending AFC Champions was undeniable. Kubiak explained where Las Vegas currently sits.

“Well, in the NFL, there's always people working on your weaknesses at all times. So, the Patriots did a great job of exposing ours, and all I'm asking them to do is their jobs, and it's our jobs as coaches to get them prepared and put them in position to play successfully. So, they're young guys, they'll keep playing, and we count on them to play at a high level," Kubiak said the day after the game.

The season's first three weeks and Las Vegas' past two weeks have been polar opposites. However, so have the teams the Raiders have faced this season. The Raiders faced some of the worst teams to start the season, then some of the league's best.

Kubiak's staff did a solid job of keeping the team grounded when undefeated. Now, he and his coaching staff will have to keep getting the most out of the roster they have.

“I just think that if guys know what to expect from you that you're the same guy, whether you win or you lose, at least that's what I try to be; I'm not saying that I'm successful at that, but that's what I want from others to be consistent,” Kubiak said.

“Some of that you can count on, hold someone to a standard, and if it's not there, tell you the truth. If it is there, tell you, 'Good job'. But however you handle something, win or loss, the goal is to win the game. And we did not win yesterday, and we have a long season ahead of us, and we have big goals."

How Week 5 Changed Raiders' Trade Deadline Plans

The sheer number of moves the Raiders made this offseason left little room for more quality moves. The money spent and the talent that was brought in were more than enough for the Raiders to work with this season. They were more than aware of the roster's pitfalls.

Still, Las Vegas' front office did all they realistically could to address as many of those pitfalls as possible. The Raiders are in the beginning stages of rebuilding what has been one of the league's worst overall rosters over the past three seasons. It will take more than one offseason.

Las Vegas' front office must stay the course regardless of what happens during the regular season. The Raiders' roster is all but set. If they add another player, it likely will not be via trade.

Doing so would give up draft capital during a season when the Raiders were not expected to contend for the playoffs. If the Raiders were going to make a trade, Marvin Harrison would have been a logical target. Now that he is gone, few sure-bet players worth giving up resources for.

The 3-2 Raiders are what they are, and the chances of Las Vegas' front office making a sizeable trade, or any trade at all, before the deadline appear slim to none. The Raiders' front office did more this offseason than any other. Kubiak and his staff have to work with the roster they have.

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