AP
Las Vegas Raiders running back Lynn Bowden Jr. (33) warms up during an NFL football training camp practice Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, in Henderson, Nev. (AP Photo/John Locher, Pool)
Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020 | 1:50 p.m.
The Raiders came away from the 2020 draft believing they had stocked up on offensive weapons, but that plan took a hit on Saturday when the team traded third-round pick Lynn Bowden to Miami.
Las Vegas sent Bowden and a sixth-round pick in the 2021 draft to the Dolphins in exchange for a fourth-round pick, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
It’s highly unusual for a team to give up on a high draft pick so early. Due to the lack of preseason games, Bowden has yet to even play a single exhibition snap in the NFL, but apparently Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock saw enough in training camp to believe Bowden was not a good fit.
The Raiders selected Bowden No. 80 overall, then chose South Carolina receiver Bryan Edwards with the No. 81 pick. Combined with No. 11 overall pick Henry Ruggs, the draft’s speediest wideout, the franchise seemed to have overhauled its receiving corps heading into its inaugural season in Las Vegas.
Bowden, however, proved to be incompatible in Gruden’s offense. At Kentucky he was deployed as a jack of all trades, lining up at receiver, running back and as a wildcat quarterback, but Mayock announced soon after the draft that the Raiders would move Bowden to running back permanently. He had a hard time catching on to his new full-time position as training camp progressed, and while Ruggs and Edwards drew praise from coaches and media, Bowden remained buried on the depth chart.
The Raiders and Dolphins have apparently been in constant communication lately, as this is the second trade they’ve executed in the past week. The first deal sent linebacker Raekwon McMillan to Las Vegas for a fourth-round draft pick — and Miami sent that very same fourth-rounder back to Vegas in exchange for Bowden.
Taken in tandem, here’s how the trades worked out:
Raiders receive:
Raekwon McMillan
5th-round pick in 2021 draft
Dolphins receive:
Lynn Bowden
6th-round pick in 2021 draft
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
