Getty Las Vegas Raiders HC Josh McDaniels.
The Las Vegas Raiders are comfortable with their starting quarterback situation for the foreseeable future as they handed Derek Carr a three-year contract extension this offseason. While starting quarterback is set, the backup situation isn’t as clear as it has been in recent years. The team brought in Nick Mullens and Jarrett Stidham this offseason to compete for the spot behind Carr.
Mullens should be considered the favorite to win the job as he’s started in 17 NFL games before. Stidham has yet to make an NFL start. However, the former New England Patriots backup has a deep understanding of Josh McDaniels‘ offense. That might not be enough to earn him a roster spot. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report named Stidham as one of the Raiders’ top trade candidates:
Given Carr’s history of durability, Las Vegas may not be inclined to keep more than two quarterbacks on its active roster this season. If that’s the case, flipping Stidham for a late pick would make a ton of sense.
A sixth- or seventh-round selection isn’t going to change the course of the franchise, but it’s solid value for a signal-caller who may be destined for the practice squad—and thus eligible to be signed by another team—anyway.
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Stidham Trade Is Unlikely
It’s possible that the Raiders only roll with two quarterbacks on the active roster when the season starts. In that case, Mullens is the favorite over Stidham. That said, Las Vegas just recently traded for Stidham from the Patriots. It wouldn’t make much sense to trade him now. Also, it’s hard to imagine there are many teams out there desperate to land the quarterback.
If McDaniels was entering his second or third year with the team, he wouldn’t need a player like Stidham. Right now, the quarterback is a valuable asset in trying to teach the offense to the rest of the roster. That should keep his roster spot safe heading into the season. At the very least, he’ll earn a spot on the practice squad.
Raiders Among Teams That Have Helped QB Most
Things haven’t been easy for Carr since he was drafted by the Raiders in 2014. He’s about to have his fifth head coach and hasn’t always had a great roster put around him. That should change this year as the Raiders added Davante Adams and are hoping to have found a long-term solution at head coach in McDaniels. According to CBS Sports, the Raiders are among the teams that have helped their quarterback the most this offseason:
The Raiders sent shockwaves throughout the NFL when they managed to swing a trade with the Packers to acquire Davante Adams, arguably the NFL’s best receiver. Adams is reunited with Derek Carr, his quarterback at Fresno State. During their last two college seasons together, the duo connected on 233 passes for 3,031 yards and 38 touchdowns. Expect both players to pick up where they left off in college, as Carr and Adams have a close bond that extends beyond the football field.
The Raiders didn’t stop with the addition of Adams. They further bolstered their receiving corps by adding veteran wideouts Keelan Cole and Demarcus Robinson. To better protect Carr, Las Vegas spent its first draft pick on guard Dylan Parham, who did not allow a sack in 545 protection snaps during his final year at Memphis.
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