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After back-to-back disappointing seasons, the Las Vegas Raiders are hoping to be competitive again for the 2024 season, and perhaps they’re looking to make a big move or two this offseason.
They will have a fair amount of salary cap space, as well as the No. 13 pick in April’s draft, and at the top of their list of needs is a legitimate high-quality quarterback.
Per The Athletic via JPAFootball, the Raiders are looking to trade up in the draft, although they may not be able to get a pick that would be high enough to draft one of the top QB prospects.
𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗦: The #Raiders are exploring possibly trading up in the first round, per @TheAthleticNFL
“The Raiders have been exploring trading up — and maybe not as high as you think, according to league and team sources. It may be unrealistic to swing a trade to move into the… pic.twitter.com/lpS4W9EIpE
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) March 4, 2024
The Raiders cut ties with veteran QB Derek Carr last offseason while bringing in Jimmy Garoppolo, but after he played poorly in seven games, Garoppolo was benched midway through the 2023 campaign.
They went with rookie Aidan O’Connell the rest of the way in 2023, but he didn’t exactly prove that he can be a long-term solution.
The top-three QB prospects in this year’s draft are Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye, and the teams with the first three picks all badly need franchise-caliber quarterbacks.
Perhaps the hope for Las Vegas is that one of those teams, perhaps the Chicago Bears or New England Patriots, decide to stick with Justin Fields or Mac Jones, respectively, or at least trade down in order to obtain more draft capital and select a less-heralded QB.
The Raiders still have some talent elsewhere on their roster, and it seems that a high-quality signal-caller could elevate them back to the playoffs right away.
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