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The Las Vegas Raiders appear to have their sights set on Tom Brady to replace Derek Carr but things are rarely that simple. It’s still possible that Brady retires or signs with another team. If that happens, the Raiders will have to pivot and find a capable quarterback.
If Las Vegas wants to draft a quarterback with the No. 7 overall pick in the upcoming draft, they will also likely bring in a veteran to compete with the rookie. The Raiders would be wise to find a cheap option if they go that way so they can use the extra money on fixing the offensive line and the defense. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report believes that New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones would be a quarterback worth “monitoring” for the Raiders:
Jones doesn’t have ties to Raiders coach Josh McDaniels like Brady and Garoppolo do—both played under McDaniels with the New England Patriots. However, he would still make plenty of sense in Las Vegas.
Assuming the Raiders are able to retain star running back Josh Jacobs, they could form a dynamic backfield similar to the one Jones had in New York. The Raiders also feature the sort of high-end receiving talent that Jones lacked in the Big Apple.
Jones could potentially take more positive strides with Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller as his top targets.
Would Jones Be a Fit With Josh McDaniels?
Jones has had an up-and-down career since he was drafted with the No. 6 overall pick by the Giants in the 2019 NFL Draft. Under new head coach Brian Daboll, he had the best season of his career. He threw for 3,205 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions while leading New York to their first playoff berth since 2016.
Daboll and Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels worked together on the New England Patriots from 2001 to 2006 and then again from 2013 to 2016. Transitioning to McDaniels shouldn’t be too big of a leap for Jones if it happens. The quarterback has limited upside but McDaniels has been successful with quarterbacks like that in the past. Jones wouldn’t be as exciting as Brady or another big-name quarterback but he would be able to operate the coach’s offense at an effective level. However, is he that much better than Jarrett Stidham? It’s hard to say right now but McDaniels would have to wonder that before making a move.
Going Cheap at QB Could Be Smart
Once the Raiders move on from Carr, they will open up nearly $30 million in salary cap space. That’s a lot of money that could be used on fixing the offensive line and defense. If the Raiders sign another expensive quarterback, they won’t be able to spend much to fix other needs.
That may be the biggest argument in favor of drafting a quarterback. If the Raiders went that direction, they wouldn’t need to pay the quarterback for four to five years. That would allow them the proper funds to fix a defense that has been bad for two decades. However, quarterback is the most important position, and drafting the wrong one would set them back even more than a bad defense. Las Vegas will need to be confident there’s a quarterback in the draft that fits in with what they want to do if they’re going to take that gamble.
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