Should the Las Vegas Raiders break the bank for Tom Brady?

With the report that the Las Vegas Raiders are in on Tom Brady, the question remains, will the team break the bank for the six-time champion?

On Super Bowl Sunday, the Las Vegas Raiders dominated the headlines early on, as ESPN reported that the team would be all-in on Tom Brady if he leaves New England. Brady, who is coming off leading the Patriots back to the playoffs, is someone who will be coveted in free agency this offseason, that is if New England does not bring him back.

While it is already known that the Patriots would spend big money to bring the six-time Super Bowl winner back in 2020, would it be wise for the Raiders to do the same. They have cap space, and could cut current starter Derek Carr with a small cap penalty, freeing up more space, but do they want to do that for Brady?

In 2018, Brady was once again one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL, but the lack of weapons made him look pedestrian at times in 2019. In addition, he will be 43-years old when the 2020 NFL season kicks off, so in terms of a long-term plan, he does not make much sense.

Of course, Las Vegas could sign Brady, cut Carr, and draft a young quarterback this April, or what until the 2021 NFL Draft, where there is a lot more talent at the position. On the other hand, they stick with Carr, who threw for a career-high in yards last season, and completed more than 70 percent of his passes, all the while doing it without a WR1 of his own.

With needs at linebacker, cornerback, wide receiver, and safety to name a few, the focus for the Raiders should be outside of the quarterback spot. But after being booed out of the Coliseum this past season, and half of the fan base ready to move on, the lure of Brady may be too much for Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden to pass on.

I am sure Brady has more left in the tank, but it appears the Patriots are going to break the bank to get him back, and the Raiders have so many more holes to fill. One thing is for sure, if Gruden and Mayock covet Brady, it could cause irreparable damage to the Carr dynamic in Las Vegas.

This is a question that will dominate the headlines until Brady and the Patriots make a decision as to which direction they want to go. Carr has remained quite confident that he will be the guy under center when the Raiders christen their new stadium this September, but where there is smoke, there is usually fire, especially with Gruden calling the shots.