Las Vegas Raiders: Will the 2023 offense thrive with Jimmy G?
By Brad Weiss
Jimmy Garoppolo is replacing Derek Carr as the starting quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023, but will the offense thrive with him under center?
It will be a season of change for the Las Vegas Raiders, as the team will move on from Derek Carr as their starting quarterback after nine seasons. In that time, Carr became the face of the Raiders, for better or worse, setting franchise records while also struggling to find consistency in both the win column, and with the people around him.
In 2023, Jimmy Garoppolo will take over as quarterback, and he has a lot of work to do after the team won only six games last season. Jimmy G has had a ton of success in the win column in his career, unlike Carr, but has also been plagued by injuries, and has had some elite defenses on the other side of the ball.
Now, he will be expected to navigate a Josh McDaniels offense that is complex, but also one that he has experience with during his time in New England. Maybe he is the best player to take over for Carr, but can he be the one that finally makes this Raiders offense as explosive as it should be in 2023?
Raiders have the playmakers to be explosive in 2023
As long as the Raiders are able to come to an agreement with Josh Jacobs at running back this offseason, this could be the most explosive Raiders offense we have seen in some time. Yes, Darren Waller is gone, but he has struggled to stay healthy in previous seasons, and his replacement, Austin Hooper, has been a Pro Bowler multiple times.
Davante Adams returns as WR1, and he will be joined by a veteran group that includes a 100-catch player in Hunter Renfrow in the slot, and Jakobi Meyers on the outside. Last season, Mack Hollins did a great job playing second-fiddle to Adams, but Meyers is a more-talented player, and he should excel with Adams on the other side of the field.
Within the offensive line, you have to like that the team brought back Jermaine Eluemunor, as he should continue to improve at right tackle. Dylan Parham has the talent to be an elite offensive guard in this league, and you have to think that the team is going to add some talent to the interior this offseason as well.
All told, Garoppolo has all the pieces he needs for the best season of his career, he just has to stay healthy.
Of course, based on the moves David Ziegler and his staff have made this offseason, the Raiders could very well be in the middle of a rebuild. Either way, the offense has playmakers, and if Garoppolo can stay healthy, he should be able to move the ball consistently, possibly even better than Carr did in 2022.