The Las Vegas Raiders decided it was time to move from Derek Carr and released him in February. They must now fill a void the former Fresno State Bulldog left and Jason Stidham, the only quarterback currently on the roster, isn’t the answer.
There’s a chance general manager Dave Ziegler will use the seventh overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to take one of the top quarterback prospects in this year’s draft but there’s a feeling around the league that they’ll also pursue a veteran to serve as a stopgap while the youngster develops.
Raiders need to be aggressive in free agency besides just Jimmy Garoppolo
Aaron Rodgers has been brought up as a realistic alternative but if the Raiders’ brass isn’t willing to part ways with any draft picks or whatever compensation the Green Bay Packers ask for, an alternative is Jimmy Garoppolo, who is set to be a free agent.
Dan Graziano of ESPN reported that Las Vegas is expected to make a run for Garoppolo, which makes sense when you take into account that Ziegler was part of the New England Patriots front office when they drafted the Eastern Illinois product in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Moreover, Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels was Garoppolo’s offensive coordinator in Foxborough.
However, Garoppolo might command top-market compensation and the Raiders might be better off signing a more affordable bridge quarter and addressing other positions in need of upgrades. So instead of Jimmy G, Las Vegas should pursue five other players in free agency, including a quarterback that has had huge success against them.
5. The Las Vegas Raiders should sign S Vonn Bell in free agency
The Raiders moved on from former first-round safety Johnathan Abram last year but they didn’t have an adequate replacement. Safety Roderic Teamer took his place in the starting lineup but he isn’t the long-term answer next to Trevon Moehrig, who regressed in 2022 after flashing potential the season before.
Teamer was a liability in coverage, allowing 19 receptions on 19 targets (76 percent completion rate) for 166 yards and two receiving touchdowns. Although he was a solid tackler, you want your starting safety to be able to defend the pass and make plays. Vonn Bell, who’s slated to be a free agent would fit the bill.
Bell was a second-round pick by the New Orleans Saints in the 2016 draft who spent the last three seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. Fellow Bengals safety Jessie Bates III will be highly coveted in free agency but the Raiders would need to pay a premium to secure his services.
Even though Bell doesn’t have the same name recognition as Bates, he’s equally reliable. The former Ohio State Buckeye has appeared in 109 games with 93 starts and tallied six interceptions, 15 forced fumbles, and 35 passes defensed during his seven-year career.
Bell signed a three-year deal worth $18 million in Cincy back in 2020 and he could get a similar deal this offseason. Signing him would help Las Vegas fill a hole in their secondary at an affordable rate, which in turn would let them take care of other roster needs.
4. The Las Vegas Raiders should sign LB Tremaine Edmunds in free agency
There are many reasons the Raiders have had just two playoff appearances in the last 20 seasons. Elite play from the quarterback position is one. Poor draft choices are another but the biggest one is without a doubt their defense or lack thereof. The last time they had a top-10 defense was in 2002 when they were sixth in the league in points allowed.
Since then, the Raiders have only ranked once in the top 20 and that was back in the distant year of 2006 when MySpace was still riding high. The reason this is brought up it’s that they need to fix the defense if they want to make the playoffs on a consistent basis instead of once every decade. They have a few solid pieces in place, superstar edger rusher Maxx Crosby is one of them but he can’t do it all alone and Las Vegas need to add talent to the defensive front. They signed outside linebacker Chandler Jones last season but that’s not enough.
The front office must upgrade their linebacker corps this offseason and Buffalo Bills’ pending free agent Tremain Edmunds could help. The 2018 first-round pick might be one of the top player available in the open market but he’ll be worth every single cent Las Vegas spend on him.
Edmunds is entering his prime, coming off a season in which he posted an 81.9 Pro Football Focus overall grade of 81.9. He’s got superb coverage skills, which the Raider could use to slow down Kansas City Chiefs tight Travis Kelce.
3. The Las Vegas Raiders should sign DL Javon Hargrave in free agency
Last season, the Las Vegas Raiders registered 27 sacks, the third-lowest figure in the league, and Maxx Crosby accounted for 12.5 of them. Simply, defensive coordinator Patrick Graham’s unit couldn’t get after the quarterback nor successfully apply pressure up front.
Looking back, Graham didn’t have enough players to install his system in 2022. Chandler Jones disappeared at times and Divine Deablo wasn’t much of a factor either, appearing in just eight games due to a foreman injury that ended his sophomore campaign prematurely. The interior defensive line also failed to make a push. Bilal Nichols and Andrew Billings saw significant playing time only because the Raiders didn’t have anyone else.
If the Raiders want to spare no expenses and bolster their defensive front, they should then make a run for defensive lineman Javon Hargrave, who played a key role on the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense last season.
Hargrave started his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2016 and signed a three-year contract worth $39 million with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020. The former South Carolina State Bulldog is coming off a career year and can play in either a 4-3 or 3-4 defense.
His flexibility to execute regardless of the scheme, along with his pass-rush skill, will make him a hot commodity in free agency. The Las Vegas brass might need to pay Hargrave an annual salary of $20 million to land him but signing him would ensure other clubs won’t be able to double or triple-team Crosby.
2. The Las Vegas Raiders should sign RT Jawaan Taylor in free agency
Regardless of who starts at quarterback for the Silver and Black in 2023, they must upgrade the right side of their offensive line. Jermaine Eluemunor got better as the season progressed but he’s expected to become a free agent. Re-signing him wouldn’t be cost-prohibitive but if he leaves, the Raiders should then consider making an upgrade at right tackle.
There will potentially be a handful of quality right tackles available in free agency. Mike McGlinchey and Jawaan Taylor will be the top two but Las Vegas should target the latter. A second-round selection by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2019 NFL Draft, Taylor struggled early in his career, giving up an average of 33 pressures in each of his first three seasons.
However, the former Florida Gator put it all together in 2022, giving up just 11 total pressures and five sacks, the lowest marks in his career. Moreover, he earned a Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade of 76.4. Another reason the Raiders should pursue Taylor is that he hasn’t missed a single game over the last four years, making 66 starts in a row.
In a sport in which availability is the best ability, Taylor’s clean bill of health will make him an appealing option for teams in need of help at right tackle. Securing him won’t be cheap though. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports that Taylor is “expected to have a massive market” for his services and will command a salary of $17 million or $18 million per season.
1. The Las Vegas Raiders should sign QB Gardner Minshew in free agency
Before the Raiders moved to Las Vegas in 2020, they played in Oakland for more than 20 years. One big reason for relocating to the Silver State was that the Colosseum was not up to date and lack adequate installations.
The last game held at the Colosseum was in 2019 when the Raiders hosted the Jacksonville Jaguars. This was supposed to be a special game, the farewell to the Silver and Black. Instead, they were left with a sour taste, losing 20-16 to the Jags.
The Jaguars quarterback at the time was rookie sensation Gardner Minshew II, who connected with wide receiver Chris Conley for two touchdowns to put Jacksonville on top. Heading into the 2020 season, the mustachioed signal-caller was seen as an ascending start but came back to earth and was eventually benched in favor of Jake Luton.
The Jaguars drafted Trevor Lawrence first overall the following offseason and Minshew was sent packing to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he backed Jalen Hurts up for the last two seasons.
Before Minshew got traded, he said he wanted a chance to compete for a starting role and Las Vegas should give it to him. The former Washington State Cougar fared well when he saw playing time in Philly, going 85-of-136 for 1,102 yards with seven quarterbacks. Those aren’t earth-shattering numbers but they’re worth a second chance.
The Las Vegas Raiders will most like pursue Jimmy Garoppolo but they should also consider going with Minshew, who might be the cheaper and better option of the two.