Polarizing 23-Year-Old Could Be Next Raiders Franchise QB

Getty Las Vegas Raiders GM Tom Telesco.

The Carolina Panthers may finish the season as the worst team in the NFL, which makes their decision to bench Bryce Young in favor of Andy Dalton even more perplexing. Young is less than two years removed from being the No. 1 pick in the draft and he hasn’t exactly gotten much help.

While Carolina has said that they plan to keep Young, it’s hard to see how they come back from this. According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, there’s no coming back from this for the two sides.

“Things are bad in Carolina right now,” Russini wrote in a September 21 column. “After just two games in a new offensive system with a new head coach, the Panthers made a bold decision and pulled the plug on 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young.

“It’s over. No matter what Carolina says, rest assured: It’s over.”

This is a situation the Las Vegas Raiders should be watching closely. Gardner Minshew has played well this season but isn’t a long-term option. The Raiders may be too good this season to end up with a top-five pick to use on a quarterback so taking a chance on Young may be their best path toward finding a younger franchise quarterback.

Raiders Urged to Trade for Bryce Young

The future isn’t very bright for the Raiders at quarterback. They’ve been wanting to trade up in the draft to add one but haven’t been able to make a deal. Justin Melo of The Draft Network stated his case for why the Raiders should go after Young.

“The Las Vegas Raiders executed a shocking upset road victory over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2,” Melo wrote in a September 19 column. “Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew has been a game manager, completing 77.5% of his passing attempts with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Minshew signed a two-year contract earlier this offseason and is obviously a bridge-type option designed to buy the franchise time to find their long-term solution. It’s not Minshew and it’s probably not Aidan O’Connell either, given the sophomore lost a position battle to Minshew.

“The Raiders may be content to ride their current situation until the 2025 NFL Draft, where they’ll probably have an opportunity to draft a first-round quarterback like Shedeur Sanders or Quinn Ewers. If general manager Tom Telesco wants to get creative, kicking the tires on Young wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

How Much Would Bryce Young Cost?

Though Young was a No. 1 pick so recently, the Panthers can’t expect to get much in a trade for him. He hasn’t shown much potential in 18 starts and that has been under two offensive-minded coaches. Teams have to bet that his struggles are more of a product of a dysfunctional Panthers team than it has to do with his talent.

That said, the Panthers likely can’t get more than a third-round pick in a trade for Young. At that price, they’re better off keeping him and seeing if they can still work with him but this situation may be beyond saving. At this point, Young likely wants a fresh start. For a third-round pick, it would be worth it for the Raiders to take a shot. Jim Plunkett was once a No. 1 pick who was discarded by the team that drafted him only for him to make his way to the Raiders and win two Super Bowls.