Getty Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields.
The Las Vegas Raiders may not need to look to the NFL Draft to find a potential young franchise quarterback. With the No. 13 pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, many of the top quarterback options will be off the board.
It would likely take a lot for the team to trade up for a higher pick so new general manager Tom Telesco could explore his options. One option could be reaching out to the Chicago Bears about Justin Fields. The Bears have the No. 1 pick and will be able to draft the best quarterback prospect. If it weren’t for that, Fields would likely be on the team next year.
However, the Bears can’t pass on the chance to add Caleb Williams or Drake Maye. CBS Sports pitched a trade that sends Fields and a sixth-round pick to the Raiders and then detailed what the Bears would get in return.
“No. 77 overall (third-round pick), 2025 third-round pick that becomes a second-round pick if Fields plays 75% of the snaps and becomes a first-round pick if the Raiders make the playoffs in 2025,” Trapasso wrote in a January 25 mock draft.
If Fields didn’t work out, the Raiders would only be risking two third-round picks. That’s not a steep asking price for somebody who could be a franchise quarterback. The Raiders would only have to give up a first-round pick if they make the playoffs in 2024, which would mean that the pick would be lower so that shouldn’t be enough to scare the team off a possible trade.
Justin Fields or Drafting a QB?
The biggest issue with trading for Justin Fields is his contract situation. He has a fifth-year option on his rookie contract and a team will have to decide whether or not to pick it up this offseason. Fields’ fifth-year option is projected to be worth $21.9 million, per Over the Cap. That’s also fully guaranteed.
That’s a lot of money to tie up in a player who might not be the right fit. If the Raiders were to draft a quarterback, they’d have at least three years before they’d have to think about a contract extension or option.
Fields is great as a rusher. He owns the record for rushing yards in a game by a quarterback with 178 during the 2022 season. However, he’s got issues as a passer and hasn’t thrown for more than 2,600 yards in a season. A rookie would give the Raiders more time to develop and see if they can make it work where Fields has already had three seasons to prove he should be a franchise quarterback.
JUSTIN FIELDS 🎯 DJ MOORE
Las Vegas Raiders Projected to Draft Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
If the Raiders add a quarterback or decide not to draft one in the first round, there are plenty of needs on the roster. One position they could target is cornerback. Chris Trapasso has the team selecting Missouri cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. with the No. 13 pick.
“Rakestraw has the chippy mentality needed to not just survive but thrive in today’s NFL as a boundary cornerback. He’s technically sound, too,” Trapasso wrote.
Adding a No. 1 cornerback would be big for the Raiders defense.