Silver And Black Pride
Franchise signal callers aren’t exclusively from the opening stanza and Las Vegas can eye 2nd to mid-round options
Now the fun begins.
With Pete Carroll’s coaching staff all set and the front office situated under general manger John Spytek, the Las Vegas Raiders embark on a key offseason under the new regime.
Carroll is the grizzled veteran of a head coach that can set a culture, lead, and motivate. Spytek is a renowned talent evaluator who had a hand in building successful teams that culminated in the ultimate prize — a Lombardi Trophy.
The to-do list for the Silver & Black’s chief personnel man is long and varied, as is the new boss man. From building the trenches at defensive and offensive line, to deciding exactly which of the 28 in-house free agents return for the 2025 campaign, the list ultimately boils down to this: Solving the quarterback conundrum in the desert.
Free agency will come first when the new league year starts mid-March. That’s opportunity one to bolster a quarterback room that currently has Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew within it. Then comes the 2025 NFL Draft in late April. And, there’s always the trade market, if the Raiders are so inclined.
Thus, Las Vegas isn’t without options.
Spytek and Carroll won’t be going it alone on this one, though, as minority owner Tom Brady is slated to have sway on signal caller. That trio is slated to build a deliver a competitive football team for owner Mark Davis. And we’ll begin to see a clearer picture on prospects as both the league and NFL hopefuls descend upon Indianapolis for the 2025 NFL Combine from Feb. 27 though March 2.
My take: Las Vegas would be wise to add a signal caller in free agency and select a prospect in the draft to build a competitive quarterback room and let the fight for the starting gig present the best option as QB1 for 2025. Now’s not the time to pussyfoot at the all-important position and it’s been too long since the Silver & Black had a legitimate competition for the starting quarterback role.
The good news: Franchise quarterback’s aren’t exclusively from the first round of the draft.
The bad news: The Raiders franchise isn’t steeped in historical success at drafting a signal caller.
The Silver & Black drafted 39 quarterbacks all-time in franchise history and only one helped get the team to a Super Bowl title: Ken Stabler (hall of famer taken in the second round, 52nd overall, in the 1968 draft). Derek Carr, taken with the 36th overall pick int he 2014 draft, holds the franchise passing records but his nine seasons with the Raiders were marred with fleeting glints of success.
Considering the two most successful drafted signal callers in franchise history were taken outside of the first stanza of the draft, it isn’t an end-of-the-world scenario if Las Vegas can’t land a first-round quarterback. And I’d be remiss to say: There are always draft risers and...
