The Las Vegas Raiders could go in many different directions addressing their quarterback need. It’s difficult to know what they might do considering new minority owner Tom Brady is in the role for the first time.
While drafting a quarterback is certainly appealing, the Raiders could jumpstart their rebuild by adding one of the best in the NFL. The Los Angeles Rams appear to prefer keeping Matthew Stafford but they are also allowing him to speak with other teams about a possible trade.
The Raiders may not have been near the top of his list of teams he wants to play for but Brady could potentially be very persuasive. Knox pitched a trade that would send Stafford to Las Vegas and the Rams would get a 2025 second-round pick, a 2025 third-round pick and quarterback Aidan O’Connell.
“Hypothetically, Las Vegas could sign on for two or three years of Stafford while developing Ward or Sanders for the future—as the Packers once did with Rodgers and Jordan Love,” Knox wrote in a Feb. 22 column.
“That plan would make third-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell expendable, and he could be offered to L.A. as added insurance at quarterback. O’Connell hasn’t played well enough to suggest he can be a long-term quarterback, but with 17 starts on his resume and a career 85.1 passer rating, he could give McVay a decent bridge option. … Along with O’Connell, the Raiders could offer the 37th and 73rd overall picks in this year’s draft—the latter coming from the New York Jets as a result of the Davante Adams trade.”
Does Matthew Stafford Make Raiders a Playoff Team?
If the Raiders added Stafford to their offense, they’d quickly become one of the most interesting teams in the NFL. The team has an underrated offensive line, a very good wide receiver in Jakobi Meyers and arguably the best tight end in the NFL in Brock Bowers.
As long as Stafford could stay healthy, it’s easy to see this team being able to push for a playoff spot. Whether or not they could be Super Bowl contenders would depend on how they fill out the rest of the roster. In this scenario, the Raiders would not have to give up their first-round pick.
That means they could use that pick to add an instant impact player like Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan or Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham. A strong free agency and draft to go along with a Stafford addition could catapult the Raiders to a place they haven’t been in over two decades.
Could Aidan O’Connell Be the Starter in 2025?
The Raiders made a mistake by not starting O’Connell in Week 1 last year. He was clearly a better quarterback than Gardner Minshew. However, he may have lost the opportunity to be a long-term starter in Las Vegas.
It’s hard to imagine a scenario where the Raiders don’t bring in another quarterback to start this year. If it’s a first-round rookie or a player like Stafford, O’Connell will almost certainly have no chance to start outside of injury. He has shown some flashes but his lack of mobility would be an issue in Chip Kelly’s system.
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