Let’s be honest about the Las Vegas Raiders quarterback group. It’s outdated and better suited for the early 2000s. We shouldn’t be surprised about that because former head coach Josh McDaniels had most of his success with pocket-passing Tom Brady, who was a sixth-round pick in the 2000 draft.
For all the criticisms of McDaniels, his ideal quarterback choices no longer fit in today’s league. Over the last decade, the quarterback position has evolved, and McDaniels didn’t adapt to it. Most of the current high-end signal-callers have functional or natural mobility in the pocket.
This past offseason, under McDaniels, the Raiders revamped their quarterback room, signing Jimmy Garoppolo and Brian Hoyer and then drafting Aidan O’Connell. Among the three, Garoppolo is the most mobile, but he’s also more injury-prone than the other two.
Therein lies the fundamental issue with the Raiders quarterback stable. None of their signal-callers have a knack for making off-schedule plays, especially outside the pocket.
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Raiders need more athleticism at quarterback
The Raiders don’t need the next coming of Lamar Jackson or Jalen Hurts in terms of ball-carrying ability at the quarterback position, but they need a more athletic passer who can mask issues in pass protection and potentially make something out of nothing if necessary.
Once the Raiders promoted linebackers coach Antonio Pierce to interim head coach, he tabbed O’Connell as the starter over Garoppolo and Hoyer, stating that the rookie fourth-rounder gives Las Vegas the best chance to win games.
While that’s a reasonable decision with Garoppolo experiencing his worst season in 10 years and Hoyer in his age-38 term, O’Connell isn’t the likely long-term answer at quarterback.
In six games, which include five starts, O’Connell has shown improvement. In Week 12, against the Kansas City Chiefs’ sixth-ranked pass defense, he registered a 101.6 passer rating, throwing for 248 yards and a touchdown with a 69.7 percent completion rate.
But regardless of how much O’Connell improves as a passer with his pre- and post-snap reads and decision-making, he’s not going to raise his level of athleticism. For a backup, that’s OK, but the Raiders could potentially get more out of their starting offense with a quarterback who’s naturally able to evade pressure and extend plays.
All eyes on the 2024 quarterback class
Whomever the Raiders hire to fill their general manager and head coach positions, they should have their eyes on a signal-caller early in the upcoming draft.
Draft experts have already touted the 2024 quarterback class as potentially the best crop of prospects in NFL history with several potential franchise players at the position.
Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, Michael Penix Jr., J.J, McCarthy, Bo Nix, and Quinn Ewers are all generating buzz as potential first- or second-round picks. The Raiders must draft one of them.
At this point of the season, with only five games left on the schedule, O’Connell has a small window to impress his general manager and coaching staff. And even if he does to a high degree, the Raiders shouldn’t hand him the job for the 2024 campaign. He’ll likely have to earn it against new competition.
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Moving on from Jimmy Garoppolo and Brian Hoyer
Las Vegas has Hoyer under contract through the 2024 term, but we already saw what he can do in relief duty, and no one needs to see it again. Assuming O’Connell remains on the roster next year, the Raiders should find a new emergency No. 3 quarterback. Perhaps another veteran who’s familiar with the offensive play-caller.
Keep in mind that current offensive coordinator Bo Hardegree has worked with Ryan Tannehill, Sam Darnold, Trevor Siemian, and Joe Flacco as a quarterbacks coach and offensive assistant with the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets. If Hardegree keeps the job, he may bring in one of those veteran signal-callers. All of them will be free agents in 2024.
As for Garoppolo, the Raiders can designate him as a post-June 1 cut and spread his $28.3 million dead cap hit over the next two years, according to former sports agent and CBS Sports salary cap expert Joel Corry.
Unless the Raiders acquire a bonafide starting quarterback via trade or free agency, they must draft a signal-caller with an early-round pick in 2024. Even if they add a starting-caliber veteran passer, the team should still dip into next year’s pool of rookie talent at the position. Either way, the team has to move on from Hoyer and Garoppolo next offseason.
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Evaluating Aidan O’Connell for the remainder of the 2023 season
As of Week 14, the Raiders have one significant quarterback evaluation in progress with O’Connell likely to finish the season under center. The rookie quarterback may have just five weeks to show his potential, which will impact his immediate future.
In all likelihood, O’Connell will have a shot to battle for the Week 1 starting job next offseason, but he’ll probably compete with a more experienced quarterback or a rookie first-round pick, which is a good thing for the Raiders.
Next year, the club’s new administration will have the task of finding a franchise quarterback. Why not revamp the makeup of the position with a modern view?
The Raiders wouldn’t have to give up on O’Connell, though the incoming talent can challenge him.
If O’Connell is good enough to overcome his athletic limitations to win the job, it would say a lot about his development. In the event that he falls into a backup role, the Purdue product may become a reliable spot starter for years to come, which is a valuable position when you consider all the quarterback injuries this season.
Over the past two decades, the quarterback position has become a playmaking position—not restricted to pocket-passing, and the Raiders must adapt or risk getting left behind without answers, which is exactly what happened to McDaniels this season.
Maurice Moton covers the Raiders for Sportsnaut. You can follow him on Twitter at @MoeMoton.