Getty Las Vegas Raiders QB Carter Bradley.
Who the Las Vegas Raiders will start at quarterback this season isn’t any more clear following mandatory minicamp. Neither Aidan O’Connell nor Gardner Minshew has seized control of the job yet.
The Raiders didn’t bring in much competition for those two as undrafted free agent Carter Bradley and former Baltimore Raven Anthony Brown have limited experience. In Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s recent roster projection, he’s predicting that both Bradley and Brown will get cut.
“The Raiders will pick a starter between O’Connell and Minshew, but don’t expect a decision until the end of training camp,” Bonsignore wrote in a June 16 column. “They may keep three quarterbacks, or they could stash their third option on their practice squad.”
It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Raiders went into the regular season with just two quarterbacks on the active roster. Notably, Bradley is the son of former Raiders and current Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. He’ll have a very good chance of landing on the practice squad if the team does cut him.
Las Vegas Raiders QBs Having Growing Pains
It hasn’t been pretty early on for the Raiders quarterback in practice. The Athletic’s Tashan Reed made note of how O’Connell and Minshew have been struggling.
“Understandably, there have been some growing pains, but it’s still troubling that neither O’Connell nor Minshew displayed much progress results-wise by the end of OTAs, “Reed wrote in a June 14 column.
“Both quarterbacks struggled to push the ball downfield, had too many off-target throws and frequently put the ball in harm’s way. The Raiders will need better than that to avoid the offense being a liability yet again. The good news is there’s still plenty of time for O’Connell and Minshew to get better in training camp before the season arrives.”
It’s still early in the offseason and both quarterbacks are learning a new system. However, neither Minshew nor O’Connell are considered top quarterbacks so this could be the first indication of a major issue. The Raiders were heavily linked to quarterbacks in the draft this year but weren’t able to come away with one. If Minshew and O’Connell continue to struggle, the team’s options are limited.
Could Las Vegas Raiders Look to Add Another QB?
The Raiders have some time before training camp but if they aren’t happy with what they’re seeing from their quarterbacks, they may want to take a look at the free agency pool. Ryan Tannehill is the only option left available with a lot of recent starting experience.
Joe Philbin was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins when they drafted Tannehill in 2012 and now he’s a senior offensive assistant with the Raiders. Philbin and Tannehill didn’t have a great relationship in Miami but that was nearly a decade ago. Perhaps it wouldn’t be an issue if the Raiders were to sign the veteran.
Other than Tannehill, there aren’t many appealing options still available in free agency. The Raiders essentially tied themselves to Minshew and O’Connell for better or worse. Both quarterbacks played decently last season so they should be able to turn things around in training camp.