Getty Washington Commanders QB Sam Howell.
The Las Vegas Raiders will have a few avenues they can try to add a quarterback but most of them are going to be costly. The team doesn’t draft until No. 13 in the first round so getting one of the top prospects will prove difficult.
If the Raiders want to take a chance on a young quarterback with upside without wanting to give up too many future assets, the team could look to the trade market. Alex Ballentine pitched a trade that sends wide receiver Davante Adams to the Washington Commanders for defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, quarterback Sam Howell and a 2024 second-round pick (No. 40 overall).
“Howell threw 21 interceptions this season, but he was also playing in a pass-happy offense and playing behind an offensive line that allowed him to be sacked 65 times,” Ballentine wrote in a February 7 column. “There’s enough promise there for the Raiders to take a shot at letting him compete with Aidan O’Connell for the starting job in 2024.
“The real prize in this trade would be bringing in Jonathan Allen, though. The Raiders have the potential to boast a dominant pass rush next season. Maxx Crosby is coming off an All-Pro season. Malcolm Koonce had six sacks after Antonio Pierce took over as head coach and Tyree Wilson should make strides in his second season.”
If the Raiders were to trade Adams, this would be a solid haul. Allen is a two-time Pro Bowler and would fill a position of need. Howell led the NFL in interceptions last season but he did show some flashes. This would likely be one of the better packages the Raiders could get for Adams.
Sam Howell’s top 20 plays this season (according to me):
Doubtful Davante Adams Gets Traded
The Davante Adams trade speculation is likely overblown. He endorsed Antonio Pierce as head coach and that’s who the team hired. They also hired Luke Getsy as offensive coordinator, who was previously Adams’ position coach on the Green Bay Packers.
There’s no reason to suspect that Adams will ask for a trade. The Raiders have given him what he wants and a team like the Commanders isn’t any closer to contending. The only reason an Adams trade makes sense is if new general manager Tom Telesco believes the team should get younger and wants to get assets for the star wide receiver before he’s no longer valuable.
Las Vegas Raiders to Be ‘Aggressive’ in Landing QB
Fourth-round pick Aidan O’Connell showed promise during his rookie season but it doesn’t appear the Raiders see him as a franchise quarterback. According to Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the team is planning to do what it can to bring in another quarterback.
“New head coach Antonio Pierce wants to be aggressive in landing a new QB, and owner Mark Davis grilled GM candidates during the search process on how to trade up from No. 13 to get one,” Rapoport, Pelissero and Garafolo wrote in a February 11 column.
Owner Mark Davis also made it clear how much he values quarterbacks.
“The quarterback is probably the most important players on the field, so you’ve got to ask the GM, what is their vision? It’s an important question,” Davis told NFL.com.
The Raiders will clearly be looking into quarterback options this offseason but it remains to be seen if they’ll like what they find.