Getty Las Vegas Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo.
The Las Vegas Raiders are entering a critical part of their season ahead of the trade deadline. If they hope to make a playoff run, then they’ll need Jimmy Garoppolo to be healthy and on the roster.
However, if the front office doesn’t believe the playoffs are likely, a trade could be possible, according to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. In a piece about players the Raiders should consider trading, Bonsignore suggested Las Vegas calls teams to see if they’re interested in Garoppolo.
“A league executive mentioned the Jets and Falcons as potential landing spots for Garoppolo should the Raiders explore a trade,” Bonsignore wrote in an October 30 column.
If the Raiders were to unload Garoppolo, Bonsignore sees it as an opportunity to give a rookie a chance.
“Garoppolo might not command much in a deal, but the Raiders need all the assets they can get for their rebuild,” Bonsignore wrote. “It also would allow them to get a closer look at rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell.”
The Raiders weren’t confident in O’Connell to start him for an injury Garoppolo against the Chicago Bears in Week 7 but if the playoffs aren’t realistic, it could make sense to give him a chance.
Should a Team Trade for Jimmy Garoppolo?
Vincent Bonsignore singled out the Atlanta Falcons and New York Jets as teams that could potentially have interest in Jimmy Garoppolo. He specifically made the case for why the Jets should take a look.
“The Jets are hanging around the AFC playoff race because of a defense giving up the fourth-fewest yards and points per game and despite an offense averaging the third-fewest points,” Bonsignore wrote.
“Zach Wilson is the league’s 29th-ranked quarterback. Even as the 20th-ranked quarterback, Garoppolo would be an upgrade. He also would be going to a Jets offense under Nathaniel Hackett that has similarities to the offense he played in with the 49ers under Kyle Shanahan.”
The Falcons also have quarterback issues as Desmond Ridder has the 27th-ranked QBR in the NFL. Both the Falcons and Jets have four wins and are in the thick of the playoff race but quarterback play is holding them back. Garoppolo isn’t an elite quarterback but he would be an upgrade over Ridder and Wilson. Plus, it’s unlikely the Raiders would ask for a ton in a trade if it came to it.
All Jimmy Garoppolo does is win…
Jimmy Garoppolo Hoping to Fix Offense
The Raiders offense hasn’t lived up to the hype this season. Jimmy Garoppolo is tied for the NFL lead with eight interceptions. The 16.0 points a game the offense is averaging is the third-worst average in the NFL.
Despite the early struggles, Garoppolo is working hard to help be part of the solution on offense.
“It’s our job to fix it and get it right,” Garoppolo said during his October 26 media availability. “Will that happen this week or next week? I don’t know. But we’re trying everything we can. … We have a group in there that’s willing to go through the hard stuff, go through the growing pains together, and that’s what it takes. It’s not going to come easy to us, but we know what we’ve signed up for.”