All eyes are on Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza for the Las Vegas Raiders as OTAs start. Mendoza was the No. 1 pick in the draft, but Cousins was signed with the idea that he’d likely start.
Getting lost in the shuffle is fourth-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell. The former fourth-round pick has started in 17 games and thrown 20 touchdowns to 11 interceptions in his career. Those are solid numbers for a potential backup quarterback to have.
The problem facing O’Connell is that there’s almost no way he’s beating Cousins or Mendoza out for the No. 2 quarterback spot. The best he can hope for is the QB3 job, which means it’s highly unlikely that he’ll actually play.
There are plenty of teams in the NFL that don’t have a solid backup quarterback, so he could be an upgrade for them. Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton believes the Raiders need to consider trading O’Connell.
“Eventually, Mendoza will take over for Cousins. As the top pick, he’s expected to be the face of the franchise,” Moton wrote. “O’Connell has no short- or long-term future with the Raiders.
“However, he does have 17 starts and a decent resume, throwing for 3,932 yards, 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. A team that needs an upgrade at the backup quarterback spot may offer Las Vegas a late-round pick for the fourth-year pro.”
Do Teams Want O’Connell?
There hasn’t been much talk about an O’Connell trade around the league. He didn’t start a single game last season despite the Raiders being a mess at quarterback.
That said, he was clearly a better option than Kenny Pickett. It’s hard to hold the baffling decisions of last year’s coaching staff over O’Connell.
He’s proven that he can at least be a capable starter in a pinch. Is he going to win 10 games if he has to start the entire season? Probably not, but he can at least keep an offense afloat. An injury to a starting quarterback can derail a season, so if a team thinks O’Connell can be of value, they should call Las Vegas about a trade.
Mendoza Impressing Raiders Teammates
As Moton noted, Mendoza is the future at quarterback for the Raiders. He was the top pick in the draft for a reason.
He’s going to get his chance eventually. It’s still early in the offseason, and the Raiders haven’t practiced with pads on, but wide receiver Tre Tucker is already impressed with Mendoza.
“I would say his mentality as a rookie is elite,” Tucker told reporters recently. “For where he’s been throughout his career, it’s really cool to see.
“He knows his expectations are big for him, and you know he’s got a bright future, but he’s been tremendous and I’m very excited to work alongside him.”
There’s going to be a lot of pressure on Mendoza to turn around a franchise that hasn’t won a playoff game since 2002. He has proven he can turn around a program in college, but the NFL is a different beast. If he can’t deliver, the Raiders are in serious trouble.
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