Getty Josh McDaniels with Dave Ziegler.
Going with the wrong quarterback can be what costs a head coach his job a lot of the time and that’s exactly what happened with Josh McDaniels and the Las Vegas Raiders. Despite being linked to a number of top quarterbacks in the 2023 NFL Draft, they decided to roll with Jimmy Garoppolo, who was benched right after McDaniels was fired.
However, things almost played out much differently. According to Sports Illustrated’s Hondo Carpenter, the Raiders strongly considered trading up in the draft to select a quarterback. The problem is that McDaniels liked Bryce Young, who ended up with the Carolina Panthers, while former general manager Dave Ziegler wanted C.J. Stroud, who was drafted by the Houston Texans.
“Dave felt he was a generational talent, and Kelly loved him. Z had done his research. He knew the cost to move up to No. 1 and even No. 2,” a source told Carpenter in a November 3o column.
“He felt the cost was cheap, and he was willing to do almost anything that didn’t include Maxx Crosby. He and Josh agreed that the price of No. 1 was too high, but Z wanted to move up to No. 2 and grab Stroud. He could have made the deal. He also knew Stroud would allow McDaniels to show the fans and the owner that an identity would be established. Josh was willing to move up for Bryce Young, but as expected, he went No. 1, and Stroud to the Raiders had long been dead.”
Through their rookie seasons, Stroud looks like the far better quarterback. He’s led the Texans to a 6-5 record and has thrown 19 touchdowns to just five interceptions. Meanwhile, Young has led the Panthers to an NFL-worst 1-10 record while throwing nine touchdowns to eight interceptions.
C.J. Stroud Report Confirmed by NFL Media
If C.J. Stroud played at the same level with the Raiders as he has been with the Texans, Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler would almost certainly still have their jobs. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport confirmed the divide between Ziegler and McDaniels when it came to the top quarterbacks in the draft in a November 30 X post.
The jury is still out on who will be the better quarterback between Stroud and Bryce Young but the early signs favor the former Ohio State star.
What Could’ve Been
C.J. Stroud isn’t exactly playing with a loaded offense. Head coach DeMeco Ryans has a defensive background and the Texans’ best wide receiver is rookie third-round pick Tank Dell. It’s easy to see Stroud having more success with three-time All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams.
It’s impossible to know if Stroud would be as good as he is right now had he joined the Raiders but he would’ve at least given owner Mark Davis a reason to be patient. Losing with a rookie quarterback who is figuring out his place in the NFL is more palatable than losing with an expensive veteran quarterback who is supposed to be familiar with the system.
The implication of the aforementioned reports is that the Texans may have been willing to trade down with the Raiders and pass on Stroud. The trajectory of the two franchises could be vastly different right now.