Raiders news: Las Vegas drafting a QB, turning to Jimmy G?
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders have a big decision to make in terms of the quarterback position, and they could go a number of ways this offseason.
The Las Vegas Raiders quarterback rumors continue to pick up steam as we inch closer to the 2023 NFL Draft, where as many as four signal-callers could go in the first few picks. For the Raiders, the quarterback is a significant position of need for the first time since the 2013 offseason, and general manager David Ziegler better get it right.
Las Vegas is coming off a six-win season, and have a head coach that has yet to prove he can consistently win at the NFL level. To win in 2023, he will have to have a strong presence at quarterback, and at this point, it is anybody’s guess as to who that will be.
Raiders interested in Jimmy G?
According to Grant Gordon of NFL.com, the Silver and Black are one of a handful of teams that are rumored to be interested in Jimmy Garoppolo. The veteran signal-caller has been the opposite of Derek Carr in his career, winning a lot of games while not being very durable, but he does have experience playing for head coach Josh McDaniels.
Most recently, Garoppolo led the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl only a few years back and is still young enough to bring in on a multi-year contract. The problem has been his inability to stay healthy, which is why the team must add more than just him if they are to be in the market for Jimmy G this offseason.
Raiders drafting a QB in 2023 NFL Draft?
While it would make a ton of sense for the Raiders to add a veteran quarterback in free agency, it appears general manager David Ziegler is going to look to the draft to add help as well. Speaking at the Combine, Ziegler stated that it is likely the team will pick a signal-caller in this year’s draft, especially after the position group showed out down in Indy.
As of now, the Raiders only have Chase Garbers on the roster in terms of the position group, so help is needed in a big way as we enter free agency and the draft season. The Raiders are replacing a nine-year veteran in Derek Carr, who was the face of the franchise since his rookie season, and doing so has not proven to be smooth sailing so far.