Prior to the 2024 season, the Las Vegas Raiders offense was expected to have low expectations; but, after the team’s Week 1 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, they may have even lower expectations. The team’s offensive problems are numerous, but the quarterback position is by far the most obvious.
This offseason, career backup Gardner Minshew beat out Aidan O’Connell to start. He won’t, however, be starting for very long until his play significantly improves. Via a September 11 X post by Vic Tafur of the Athletic, TruMedia claims that Minshew only averaged 4.5 air yards per attempt, which was the lowest in the NFL since Week 1.
Now, that may not be entirely his fault because, according to Pro Football Focus, he was pressured on 37.5% of his dropbacks. Nevertheless, if the Raiders are to contend with the postseason in the future, Minshew must be the team’s long-term quarterback. In the offseason, the team will most likely be looking to add a quarterback, and they have a few choices to consider.
The Novice Path
In a perfect scenario, the Raiders would be able to select in the 2025 NFL Draft a quarterback prospect who is a top prospect and who they could work with for years to come. Carson Beck, the quarterback for Georgia, seems to be the class’s winner. With seven touchdowns and no interceptions thus far this NCAA football season, he is leading the way. The issue with him is that the Raiders won’t have an opportunity to select him if a different team in need of a quarterback selects the top selection, which is likely to happen.
Shedeur Sanders of Colorado would be of interest if Beck isn’t available. His two interceptions in two games this season are almost equal to the three interceptions he threw the entire previous season, indicating a rough start to the season for him. Despite his great skill, he might not make the cut because of some personality issues. Sanders may be the Raiders’ most practical choice if they choose to select outside of the top five.
Quinn Ewers of Texas may possibly be considered as a first-round selection. To begin the season, he has thrown six touchdowns to just one interception, and he was outstanding in a victory over the Michigan squad, the reigning champion. Ewers might continue to rise in the rankings, but he ought to be another quarterback selected outside of the top five.
The Path of the Veteran
Before the season, the Dallas Cowboys signed Dak Prescott to an extension, despite the fact that he was expected to be the most well-known player to enter free agency in the offseason. Because of this, veteran options are really mediocre throughout the offseason.
Sam Darnold might be a player to bring in to challenge Minshew the following season if he has a strong year with the Minnesota Vikings. While they were both with the Chicago Bears, quarterback Justin Fields of the Pittsburgh Steelers was not very successful when he worked with Raiders offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.
The Raiders’ greatest bet in free agency is to go after a rookie because veteran choices are so scarce. Stopgap options like Minshew make it harder to design the offense around the player the team needs.
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