Roster cutdown day is closing in across the NFL. Every team will have to cut their rosters from 90 players to 53. That means a lot of good players are going to become free agents.
Most teams in the league will likely only keep two quarterbacks on the active roster. That could put the Las Vegas Raiders in a bit of a predicament. Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza are locks to make the roster, but Aidan O’Connell is a good player.
He has started 17 games in his career and has thrown 20 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. At the very least, he can be a quality backup for a team. However, the Raiders might just not have room for him.
O’Connell could have value as Mendoza’s long-term backup, but he’s a free agent after the season and might not love that idea. The Raiders could seek to trade him before having to cut him. NFL.com’s Kevin Patra believes that O’Connell has likely played his last snap in Las Vegas.
“AOC should be a trade target for a team in need of a backup QB with starting experience,” Patra wrote. “With no direct path to playing time with the additions of veteran Kirk Cousins and No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza, O’Connell’s time in Vegas should be coming to a close.”
Raiders Urged to Play Mendoza
While O’Connell’s future should be at the top of the Raiders’ mind, they also have another big quarterback decision to make. The team has yet to name a starter for Week 1.
The Athletic’s Dave Helman believes it needs to be Mendoza.
“I don’t see how this can be a successful season if you don’t have a really clear picture of what Fernando Mendoza is by the time it’s over,” Helman said. “We started training camp with the whole bit about the Raiders making noise that Kirk Cousins might play the whole season. And I don’t genuinely believe that, and I never did, but I don’t want the weather to be cold here in Chicago before I’m seeing Mendoza. It’s not just because I think he’s exciting and I think he’s better than he gets credit for. This guy’s gotta play.”
Roman Hemby Praises Mendoza
It’s easy to understand why the Raiders are apprehensive to start Mendoza yet. Even the best rookie quarterbacks struggle.
That said, Mendoza is a very mature young player, and his teammates love him. Rookie running back Roman Hemby played with Mendoza at Indiana, and he praised the quarterback’s leadership ability.
“It was really easy to mesh with a guy like Fernando,” Hemby said, per Raiders.com. “He came in and he had a like mindset to myself. We wanted to be successful. … He was a leader, a natural leader, and it was easy to rally behind him.
“I could tell he was intentional with how he went to work every day and practice every day,” Hemby added. “I knew that if we were able to stay healthy and buy in, he was going to be able to lead us to [where] we wanted to go that season.”
Raiders Veteran’s Time in Vegas ‘Should Be Coming to a Close’