In a very interesting move on the week that NFL teams begin to report to their respective training camp sites, the Oakland Raiders have pulled off a trade with the Carolina Panthers, sending wide receiver Louis Murphy to work with Cam Newton and the promising Panthers according to Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports.
New general manager Reggie McKenzie of the Raiders is likely going to work over much of the roster in the next year or two as he changes the offensive philosophy of the team under Greg Knapp, his new offensive coordinator, but a player trade of such value this time of year is interesting. The Raiders are moving from the vertical offense to a West Coast system, so Murphy likely held little value for the Raiders, and perhaps the Panthers are moving a decent asset here.
For a team in need of any draft choices, expect the Panthers to have offered something of note here in the 2013 NFL Draft. But it's also a potential buy-low situation for the Panthers given that Murphy has shown an ability to be a productive receiver in his three seasons in Oakland. Last year, he had only 15 catches for 241 yards, but he had 41 catches in 2010 and is still only 25. Newton should be pleased.
However, if the Raiders are able to get a decent draft choice in return here -- even a redo of Murphy's fourth round cost -- it's worth it to restock the Raiders future for McKenzie's hand. The AFC West is likely to be rather cruel to them this season but Oakland fans should be confident in a stable future.
For more on the Raiders recent moves, check out Silver and Black Pride.