Raiders free agency: Compelling case for the Raiders to sign Tyler Huntley

A captivating name to watch in this free agency period for the Las Vegas Raiders is Tyler Huntley. He's only 26 and makes close to 3 million as a backup in Baltimore.

The Ravens paid Lamar Jackson a record contract and signed Malik Cunningham meaning that he'll likely hit the market next month, unless he resigns for cheap again. The Silver and Black will have around 40 million dollars to work with once free agency opens.

Huntley has a pro bowl nod under his belt, albeit that doesn't hold the same cache as it used too. He's filled in and pushed MVP Lamar Jackson a handful of times now to be better, including a playoff game, and performed adequately in his absence.

His record is 3-5 as a starter, which won't sit well with Raider fans. Others have backed Justin Fields as a trade candidate. He is 10-28 as a starter, according to NFL Live and highly inconsistent with more than enough time to judge.

Raiders have more weapons than Baltimore

Another positive to consider is that Las Vegas has more weapons then the Ravens do which could make the transition a little less nerve-wracking. Giving him a retooled line to block for him in free agency and the draft would be essential as well. Maybe that's all he needs to revitalize his career to be a trusted starter in the NFL.

I'm not saying he is a long-term answer at the position, but he can be had for cheap and step in for Aidan O'Connell because of an injury or unsatisfactory play. Again I'm not saying he is the long-term starter. He's a poor man's Jackson who can extend the play with his legs. The ideal situation would be to sign him as a backup with starting potential. He's a proven option compared to realistic draft capitol like Bo Nix, J.J. McCarthy or Michael Penix Jr..

I know that Raiders fans do not want to hear it and are can easily be upset by it, but giving up the farm for a college quarterback under a first time head coach is unwise. If they would have gotten Kliff Kingsbury to run the offense instead of Luke Getsy, then people would almost certainly feel differently about the outlook.

A statement of a reminder would be that the Raiders did beat Patrick Mahomes and the Super bowl champions in Kansas City with a rookie quarterback. not to mention finishing second in the West. Maybe the Raiders have something up their sleeve that doesn't involve a franchise-altering decision on a quarterback in 2024.

We won't know for sure until the end of this free agent and draft cycle.

Veterans on their last leg like Russell Wilson, Ryan Tannehill and Kirk Cousins will be too expensive to justify a signing. Baker Mayfield is still young, but most can't see him leaving Tampa Bay. Gardner Minshew is in the same ballpark as Huntley and could be a name to watch if the Raiders are not overly sold on O'Connell and no one in the draft. Having Huntley as the alternative to O'Connell is not that far-fetched.