The Las Vegas Raiders added Jimmy Garoppolo in free agency on Monday, and here, we hand out the grade for the big signing.
The Las Vegas Raiders free agent season is upon us as the legal tampering portion of the off-season. begins before players can officially sign on Wednesday. The number one thing Raiders fans were waiting for going into today was whether they were going to sign a quarterback or go all in for a first-round player in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Raiders wasted no time answering that question by working out a contract with none other than former 49ers starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. It was reported by Adam Schefter that Garoppolo and the Raiders agreed to a 3-year $67.5 million contract with $34 million guaranteed.
The quarterback question has been an up-and-down roller coaster ever since Derek Carr was benched with two games left in the season. Ever since that moment, people questioned what the Raiders’ next move was going to be.
For the Silver and Black, the signing of Jimmy G likely means that the team will be in on a draft quarterback as well, as Garoppolo is not a long-term solution. However, he is a veteran who has won a lot of games at the NFL level and was in a Super Bowl as recently as three seasons ago.
Las Vegas Raiders: Grading the signing of Jimmy Garoppolo
Raiders sign Jimmy G
I’m sure that not many people, including myself, wanted Jimmy Garoppolo to be that answer. Even if it was for a short time, nothing about bringing him in seemed like the answer to the path moving forward.
Nonetheless, we are here, with Jimmy Garoppolo all but sworn in as the Raiders’ next QB1. Whether the Raiders still go after someone in the draft is obviously yet to be seen, but even if they do, I doubt they paid him all that money just to be a backup.
There are a lot of mixed emotions that come along with this signing. Was it something that was talked about from the get-go after Carr was released because of his ties to Josh McDaniels in New England? Probably.
It also seemed like the farthest option from reality. Heck, a lot of people thought Carr coming back was more of a likelihood than the Raiders bringing in injury-prone Jimmy Garoppolo.
With that said, we grade out the signing of Garoppolo, who will be expected to get the Raiders back to the playoffs after a year hiatus next season.
Las Vegas Raiders: Grading the signing of Jimmy Garoppolo
The Grade
I’m probably going to get slaughtered in my mentions because of this but hear me out. Yes, Jimmy Garoppolo was one of the last people I wanted the Raiders to bring in as their next signal caller.
However, going with him isn’t a step back from Derek Carr, as it is probably a lateral but when you incorporate what he’s owed from this contract, it makes you feel better about moving on from Carr and inserting Garoppolo as the starter.
The 3-year $67.5 million contract breaks down to $22.5 average annual value. The $34 million guaranteed is a little rich for my blood, but one would expect that if the yearly average was lower, the guaranteed money would be a little higher.
That is still a boatload less than what Derek Carr would’ve gotten had the Raiders stuck with him. Garoppolo will get roughly $45 million over the next two years, and Carr would have been around $73 million.
If both contracts played out the way they were structured, Garoppolo would end up making nearly half of what we would’ve given Carr, who was on pace for $121 million over the next 3 years.
The issues with Garoppolo though are right there in front of you. Not only has he been injury prone, currently coming off a season-ending injury, but he has been underwhelming and inconsistent at times. Yes, he’s had his flashes, but many wonder if he’s just a product of a great Kyle Shanahan system and perennial top 5 defense.
Nonetheless, he has led some teams that have racked up some wins over the year.
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I understand that my grade might be a little high, but that’s the cautiously optimistic in me coming to the forefront. I feel like if Garoppolo can stay healthy he can be just as good as what the Raiders recently had in Carr, if not mildly better. Couple that with the very team-friendly contract he has been given and I don’t think this signing is as bad as many are making it out to be.
Grade: B-
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