Could the Las Vegas Raiders trade QB Marcus Mariota to the Indianapolis Colts?
By CJ Errickson
Raiders quarterback Marcus Mariota is too valuable to another NFL organization’s potential success to remain on the Raiders’ bench for much longer.
As NFL training camp marches on for all 32 NFL teams, including the Las Vegas Raiders, injuries are unfortunately inevitable. With that being said, it is never ideal to lose your starter at the position, let alone in training camp.
Unfortunately for the Indianapolis Colts, the new signal-caller they just traded for, Carson Wentz, is now out indefinitely with a foot injury, leaving them with a void at the most important position in sports.
The Colts QB depth chart behind Wentz is more than unconvincing with the following players:
- Jacob Eason (2nd NFL season)
- Sam Ehlinger (2021 rookie)
- Jalen Morton (2nd NFL season)
It is safe to say that Indianapolis will be seeking a proven option at the position on relatively short notice based on the premise alone of Carson’s injury history.
How would Marcus Mariota to the Indianapolis Colts benefit the Las Vegas Raiders?
The Las Vegas Raiders could easily capitalize on a deal with a team that is desperate to win now, considering that the Indianapolis Colts were a playoff team last season. However, not long thereafter, with the retirement of quarterback Philip Rivers, Indianapolis quickly traded for veteran NFL signal-caller Carson Wentz at a relatively steep price.
With that being said, the price for Mariota would not come cheap, as he displayed last year; he can still produce even if not fully healthy.
His contract isn’t ideal for the Silver and Black, as he is the highest-paid backup at the quarterback position in the league. So offloading that and potentially gaining a proven player at a position of need would be most welcome in Las Vegas.
So it begs the question, what could the Colts offer to entice the Raiders into offloading the Hawaiian native?
What would be the ideal Colts offer to the Raiders for Marcus Mariota?
The price will not be super high for Marcus Mariota as he is currently the backup to Las Vegas Raiders starter Derek Carr; however, his experience and potential do not make him a cheap option. The Indianapolis Colts do not possess a first-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft in draft capital.
However, they do possess an interesting caveat regarding their second-round selection next season based on snap % and playoff qualification after their trade for former Philadelphia Eagles starter Carson Wentz:
- If Wentz plays 75% of offensive snaps OR he plays 70% of snaps, AND the Colts make the playoffs – they retain their 2022 2nd round selection:
Long story short, if Carson’s injury isn’t that serious, but they still want a proven backup based on his fragility, trade for their 2nd round pick would make sense. The more ideal route would be to trade for a mid or late-round selection in addition to a proven player. A player that comes to mind is nickel cornerback Kenny Moore II.
Kenny Moore II is an outstanding and versatile nickel cornerback who is just 25 years old and can make game-changing plays consistently. Unfortunately, as of now, it seems as if the Raiders nickel cornerback position is shaky, to say the least. He is a valuable player to their defense, but if they cannot depend on their starter to play, Mariota’s experience and the contract could prove to be invaluable.