It’s looking like that at least one Las Vegas Raiders quarterback is going to get traded this offseason. However, it’s probably not going to be Derek Carr. Most recent reports have indicated that the Raiders plan to stick with their longtime starter.
If that ends up being the case, the team can’t afford to keep both Carr and Marcus Mariota on the roster. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, it sounds like there’s very little chance Mariota is back on the team.
“Based on my knowledge right now, I would be very surprised if he is on the Raiders for the 2021 season,” Rapoport reported recently. “The Raiders have gotten some offers for him and it sounds like there’s probably been enough interest in Mariota … that he is likely to not be on the team. It would save them some money and maybe give them some draft compensation. Mariota would get the chance to be a starting quarterback once again.”
From NFL Now: It’s looking more likely that #Raiders starting QB Derek Carr is back for 2021, while backup QB Marcus Mariota is not. He’s been the subject of trade calls.
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What Is Mariota Worth in a Trade?
Mariota hasn’t always looked like a franchise quarterback throughout his career. He hasn’t thrown for more than 13 touchdowns in a season since 2017. Many of his issues have been due to injury but he’s finally healthy. The Raiders gave him a ton of time to get his body right. In his lone appearance with the silver and black in 2020, he looked really good.
There’s no doubt a lot of teams saw that tape and are now interested in giving him another crack at starting. That said, there’s still plenty of risks. Mariota could very well still be injury-prone even with the extra time off. He’s also only thrown 32 touchdowns to 26 interceptions in his last four seasons combined. The Raiders shouldn’t expect a premium return in a trade for Mariota. They could maybe receive a third or fourth-round pick in return but it’s hard to see a team offering more than that. There are still some good teams that have a need at quarterback. It’s possible that a team like the Chicago Bears get desperate and give the Raiders a good deal but that’s not a certainty.
QB Market Slowing Down
If the Raiders were hoping to move off of Mariota quickly, it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen. Per Rapoport, the quarterback trade market is in a lull right now.
Mariota isn’t the only quarterback expected to be available. The New York Jets could move on from Sam Darnold and everybody knows that Deshaun Watson wants out of Houston. However, it doesn’t look like either team is in a rush to make a move. That could end up working in the Raiders’ favor. If Darnold and Watson aren’t available, Mariota could end up being the best quarterback on the trade market. Las Vegas is in a good spot because they already have a good starting quarterback in place. They can wait this thing out until teams get desperate and pay more for Mariota than he’s worth. That said, they also run the risk of waiting too long and having him lose all value completely.
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Insider Would Be ‘Very Surprised’ if Key Raider Is on the Roster in 2021