The Las Vegas Raiders failed to land what many would consider a difference-maker at the quarterback position this offseason. The team signed Gardner Minshew and has Aidan O’Connell coming back, but neither inspire much confidence, both in the media and with fans.
More evidence of the former comes from Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay, who called the Raiders not landing a franchise quarterback one of the six worst offseason decisions in the NFL.
The other five were the Chicago Bears overpaying safety Kevin Byard, the Dallas Cowboys bringing running back Ezekiel Elliott back, the Carolina Panthers’ return in the trade involving edge rusher Brian Burns, the Los Angeles Rams’ overpay in their draft trade-up, and the Atlanta Falcons drafting quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
Here’s Kay’s thoughts on the Raiders’ lack of significant action at quarterback:
The Raiders’ inability to land such a quarterback could cost them dearly. Incumbent Aidan O’Connell—who was thrust into the lineup as a fourth-round rookie last year—and Minshew are now set to compete for the starting job in training camp. That uninspiring battle likely won’t result in many wins regardless of who claims the job.
The Raiders now field the weakest quarterback room in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. For a team in the same division as the Kansas City Chiefs (whom PFF ranked as having the league’s best quarterbacks), that’s an especially painful position to be in.
Had Las Vegas been more aggressive this offseason, it would be in far better shape for the future—whether that was with Cousins in the lineup or a rookie developing behind MInshew. The Raiders are now a strong candidate to struggle in 2024, with little in the way of quarterback prizes to be excited about in the 2025 draft class.
Leave a Reply