Raiders, Dolphins predicted to have trade interest in 26-year-old Seahawks Pro Bowler
The Las Vegas Raiders and Miami Dolphins could both use some cornerback help entering Week 5.
The Raiders are currently sporting a bottom-10 pass defense through four games and the Dolphins' secondary hasn't been the same without Jalen Ramsey, and the Dolphins sport the 13th-worst pass defense in the NFL.
One player who could be available for both teams at the trade deadline is Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen, who could be put on the trade block this year, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
"Woolen's playing time has diminished, and in a contract year, teams believe he could be available," Rapoport reported.
Following that report, Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox predicts the Raiders and Dolphins
While Woolen was stellar early in his career—he allowed an opposing passer rating of just 48.7 as a rookie in 2022—he hasn't seemed to be as good of a fit in Mike Macdonald's defense.
Virtually every cornerback-needy team should have interest in Woolen if he is available. The Seahawks should expect a fairly strong return, even with him in a contract year.
Potential Suitors:
Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins
A former Pro Bowler, Woolen would be a welcomed addition for both teams and can upgrade the boundary situation in Miami and Las Vegas.
The Raiders in particular have a strong connection to Woolen thanks to his playing under head coach Pete Carroll for two seasons in Seattle.
However, we're not sure it makes sense for either team to go after Woolen, who is in a contract year. For the Raiders or Dolphins to do that, they would have to look like playoff contenders at the deadline, but the prospects of that aren't looking promising with both teams sitting at 1-3.
If their lackluster seasons continue, the Dolphins and Raiders would be wise to hold on to the conditional fourth-round pick Knox suggests it'll take to acquire Woolen.
After all, the Dolphins might be staring down the barrel of a rebuild and the Raiders needs all the picks they can get as the roster building continues in Las Vegas.
Boston Celtics rookie explains challenges from 1st NBA training camp
Hugo Gonzalez said some in the Celtics organization try to speak Spanish with him, but for the most part, he’s soaking in his new NBA life in English. The coaching staff said they’re fine explaining things to him twice so the message gets across, which also means "I’ve got to be more attentive," he explained.
That’s NBA life for Gonzalez, the 19-year-old the Celtics picked 28th overall in the 2025 draft. Pro life isn’t necessarily new for Gonzalez, who played for Real Madrid last season. So he’s already used to being around adults. Still, there are challenging adjustments and surprises as he also navigates life in a whole different country.
“We’re going really, really deep now in these practices and also in the training camp that we’ve got,” Gonzalez said. “We’re going deep in the details. I think that apart from the basics, they are the most important thing. We’re going into detail on every single situation so that when we are in the game and we’ve got that situation, we can handle it in the best way possible so we can succeed on defense.”
The plan is still unclear for Gonzalez once games actually start later this month. The Celtics have sent their rookies to the G League for portions of the season to get them real playing time. That was the case for Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman. So it’ll depend on how the rotation shakes out for the Celtics and what their plans are for Gonzalez.
Gonzalez already got a taste of American ball at Summer League, though the situations are different. He was also fresh off his Real Madrid season, where he was drafted the same night — or the early hours of the morning — the team won their championship. Comparatively, he’s eased into the transition more over the past few months.
But the real work began this week with training camp and upcoming preseason games. It’ll become clearer what the organization’s plan is for Gonzalez going forward. For now, he’s just looking to improve his English and learn how the Celtics as a team operates.
“In Europe, it’s different and here every single player has impressed me,” Gonzalez said. “I wouldn’t say impressed me because I know how good they are, but they have been practicing — everybody here — super hard. And practicing since the first minute at 100%. So I would say everybody.”
