The Las Vegas Raiders have a robust 90-man roster right now, but they’ll have to cut that down to 53 players by the end of training camp. The team currently has four quarterbacks on the roster.
When the season starts, that number could go down to as low as two. No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza has a guaranteed roster spot, and Kirk Cousins is a lock to make the team.
That leaves Aidan O’Connell and Jacob Clark on the chopping block. It doesn’t make much sense to cut O’Connell. He has value as a No. 3 quarterback and could also have value on the trade market.
ESPN’s Ryan McFadden put together a 53-man roster prediction ahead of training camp, and he doesn’t believe that O’Connell will be on the team this season. He does think a trade could be on the table.
“When deciding whether to keep or move on from O’Connell, a fair argument can be made on both sides,” McFadden wrote. “By keeping O’Connell, the Raiders will have additional insurance at the position in case Mendoza is further behind than expected. And given his familiarity with the organization, O’Connell can also be a valuable resource in the room.
“At the same time, O’Connell believes he can be a long-term starter in the league. That opportunity, however, isn’t in Las Vegas. O’Connell played well in the spring. If he can translate that performance to training camp, O’Connell could create value for himself in the trade market. That would be the best-case scenario instead of releasing him at the end of training camp.”
Should Raiders Keep O’Connell?
There is merit to the idea of keeping O’Connell and carrying three quarterbacks. Cousins is going to be 38 when the season starts and has an injury history. The Raiders could keep Mendoza No. 3 on the depth chart to start the season so that they can play it very safe.
The team definitely shouldn’t cut him. He could have value as a long-term backup to Mendoza. Now, his contract expires after this season, so he could choose to move on for a better chance to start, which means training him could be smart. If a trade offer doesn’t come, the Raiders should consider keeping him.
O’Connell Not Out of the Starter Race
There’s also the fact that the Raiders haven’t named a starting quarterback yet. Head coach Klint Kubiak has even said that O’Connell is still in the mix to be the Week 1 starter.
“We’re giving guys a fair share of reps, and I would not count Aidan out,” Kubiak said during Raiders Media Day. “Aidan’s had a phenomenal offseason. He’s a professional. He’s pushing Kirk, he’s pushing Fernando. I think John (Spytek) has given us a great group of three guys to work with … so we’ve just got to give them reps and make sure all three of those guys get time with the ones, and it’ll reveal itself.
“I think if we went and played the game tomorrow, I’d take any one of those three quarterbacks. I’m really excited about all three of them.”
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