Las Vegas Raiders: Trading for Mac Jones does not upgrade the position
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders have to figure out their next signal-caller after moving on from Derek Carr, but could it really be Mac Jones?
The quarterback rumors continue to swirl around the Las Vegas Raiders, as they have been rumored to be in the market for Aaron Rodgers, Jimmy Garoppolo, or even trading up to select a signal-caller in the 2023 NFL Draft. With the team moving on from Derek Carr, upgrading the position is going to be tough, especially in an offense as complicated as Josh McDaniels runs.
However, a player familiar to the system could be on his way to the desert, as a young starter who was a Pro Bowl player as a rookie under McDaniels in 2021 is now being rumored to the Silver and Black. That player is Mac Jones, the second-year starting quarterback for the New England Patriots.
In 2021, when McDaniels was the OC in New England, Jones led the Pats to the playoffs, throwing for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns. Jones took a big step backward last season with McDaniels gone, so could a reunion be in the cards?
Albert Breer spoke to the possibility of Jones being traded to the Raiders, especially if New England feels Bailey Zappe is the better option in 2023. However, Jones would not be an upgrade over Carr, and could lead to the team to another disappointing season.
Jones to the Raiders is a downgrade from Carr
The truth is, moving to Jones in 2023 would be a downgrade from Carr, and could end up costing McDaniels his job. This regime took over a team that went to the playoffs during the 2021 season and finished with only six wins, and some of the more embarrassing losses in recent memory.
Jones was solid as a rookie, but for a guy who had to struggle to keep the job from Zappe last season, is he really the answer in the desert? My opinion is no, and if the team does trade away assets for him, it could be the end for McDaniels and David Ziegler if it does not work out.
We are getting to a point where it is becoming very unlikely that the Silver and Black will upgrade the quarterback position from Carr this offseason. If Rodgers awakens from his darkness and chooses Green Bay or New York, the Raiders are in big trouble in 2023.