Raiders Urged to Reunite Impact Defender with Pete Carroll
The Las Vegas Raiders have seen mixed results on both sides of the football to start through the first month of the Pete Carroll era. The offense has stole the majority of the headlines with both Geno Smith and Ashton Jeanty struggling on numerous occasions throughout the first four games of the season, but the defense hasn’t exactly blossomed under this new regime either.
After losing to Marcus Mariota and Caleb Williams in successive weeks, the Raiders are being urged to reunite Carroll with Seattle Seahawks CB Riq Woolen ahead of the NFL Trade Deadline.
Riq Woolen Named a Trade Option for Las Vegas Raiders
Justin Melo of Draft Network sees a path where Carroll could reunite with Seahawks CB Riq Woolen in the near future by suggesting a trade could make sense between Seattle and Las Vegas ahead of the NFL Trade Deadline.
Melo wrote, “Pete Carroll was the Seahawks’ head coach when Woolen was selected in the fifth round. Woolen thrived under his leadership, qualifying for the Pro Bowl as the co-interception leader as a late-round rookie. A reunion with Carroll by joining the Las Vegas Raiders would be beneficial for all parties involved. The 1-3 Raiders are struggling, but general manager John Spytek built the roster to compete this year.
The Raiders are currently giving up 228 passing yards per game, which ranks 23rd in the NFL. More importantly, the Raiders may be without CB Eric Stokes in the near future after he suffered a knee injury against the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
Melo added, “Carroll acquired multiple ex-Seahawks this offseason, including Geno Smith and Jamal Adams. Carroll has always preferred big cornerbacks. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Woolen would arguably be the best cornerback in Vegas, with Eric Stokes and Kyu Blu Kelly struggling outside.”
Woolen has been a bit of a disappointment in 2025 after having a big impact his rookie year with 63 total tackles and six interceptions back in 2022. One could make an argument the reason the Seahawks aren’t 4-0 on the season was directly due to his poor play against the San Francisco 49ers in the season opener, where he allowed an explosive play to Ricky Pearsall and the go-ahead touchdown by Jake Tonges in the second half of their 17-13 Week 1 loss.
How Would Riq Woolen Fit into the Raiders Secondary?
Despite the struggles of Woolen in 2025, the UTSA product is the ideal fit for Pete Carroll’s defensive scheme and would prevent rookie Darien Porter from being pressed into extended playing time before he is ready.
To be fair, Porter has received a 74.4 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus on the season — but this grade has come on a small sample size of just 16 coverage snaps through his two games of action.
Woolen has been a full-time starter in the league and looked like a potential future All-Pro at the position early in his NFL career.
The Raiders‘ cornerback room likely isn’t the biggest concern on the roster through the first month of the 2025 NFL season, but does present intriguing upside for Las Vegas if Woolen can recapture his promising form under Pete Carroll during their time together in Seattle.
Bears WR Named Prime Trade Target for Giants After Malik Nabers Injury
The New York Giants got one heck of a gut punch Week 4 after losing star wide receiver Malik Nabers to a torn ACL.
The injury to Nabers couldn’t have come at a more inopportune time. Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart just won his first NFL game after being named the team’s starter, and having a wideout with Nabers’ skill set at the ready is huge for any rookie signal-caller.
The Giants will surely want to keep Dart’s momentum going, so a trade for another talented WR with a proven track record feels like it could be coming for New York.
Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports had a candidate from Chicago in mind: DJ Moore.
Giants Current Situation at WR Is Far From Ideal
“New York still has solid wide receivers in Darius Slayton and Wan’Dale Robinson, but can’t rely on Jalin Hyatt to fill the void (even if he was a former third-round pick). The Giants need outside up to solve this problem, even if they are 1-3 and aren’t actually contending for a playoff berth this year,” Kerr wrote on September 29, before making his case — albeit a shaky one — for Moore:
Hard to envision the Bears getting rid of Moore, but it doesn’t hurt to call. … especially since the Giants need a player that can make a quarterback’s life easier. The Bears would need to get a significant draft capital back for Moore, since they are 2-2 and Caleb Williams is playing well. Not to mention Chicago is a contender and has its own young quarterback in Williams. Again, doesn’t hurt for the Giants to call.
If New York would be comfortable paying for Moore’s services in decent draft capital, the veteran wideout could be a nice security blanket for Dart.
Moore Has a History of Consistent Play & Helping Young QBs
GettyShould the Giants try to trade for DJ Moore to help replace Malik Nabers?
In 2023, his first season with the Bears, Moore set career highs across the board—96 catches, 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns—while playing all 17 games. He followed that with 98 receptions for 966 yards and six scores in 2024, again logging 17 starts.
He racked up those stats with two different young quarterbacks in Justin Fields and Caleb Williams.
Through the first four games of 2025, he has 16 grabs for 173 yards and a touchdown.
Prior to landing in Chicago, Moore finished with over 1,000 yards receiving in three of his first five seasons. Now in Year 8, he is 28 and still has plenty left in the tank to be the top target for a young QB.
But the idea Chicago might move on is a bit of a stretch.
Why the Chicago Bears Likely Won’t Want to Trade DJ Moore to the New York Giants
Would the Bears
Moore’s contract is expensive, but not market-breaking relative to WR1 money. He signed a four-year, $110 million extension with Chicago in July of 2024. That deal runs through 2029 and carries a cap charge of $24.9 million this season.
If the Giants gave Bears GM Ryan Poles an offer he couldn’t refuse—think a premium 2026 pick plus an additional fourth-rounder, maybe—trading Moore is possible. But given Chicago’s stated intent to surround Williams with playmakers, it’s a very remote one.
