Aidan O'Connell's grip on the No. 2 quarterback spot for the Las Vegas Raiders was loose at best, and if rookie Cam Miller had asserted himself, O'Connell might have been supplanted this preseason. However, the Raiders are somehow back in the market for a backup quarterback again anyway.
O'Connell is now out 6-8 weeks after suffering a fractured wrist in the preseason finale against the Arizona Cardinals. Head coach Pete Carroll said on Sunday that the Raiders are "looking everywhere to find the best guy that fits us" and "for an experienced player that can help us."
Plenty of names have come up for the Raiders as roster cuts get rolling around the league, but an ideal option has just fallen into their laps. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Philadelphia Eagles have waived quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson has fallen right into the Raiders' laps
The Eagles acquired Sam Howell from the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, which made Thompson-Robinson expendable. In March, Philadelphia acquired him from the Cleveland Browns, who took him in the fifth-round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He started five games over two seasons in Cleveland.
In two games this preseason, Thompson-Robinson completed 10 of 16 passes for 73 yards and an interception. Thompson was originally a four-star recruit in the Class of 2018 out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, and he spent his entire college career at UCLA.
Of course, that means "DTR" played for Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly for all five seasons of his college career. He made notable improvement as a passer over his final two campaigns, throwing 48 touchdown passes and just 16 interceptions, to turn himself into an NFL prospect.
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In his final season playing for Kelly, Thompson-Robinson had the sixth-best completion percentage among FBS signal callers with a minimum 250 pass attempts (69.6 percent). He was also one of just two FBS quarterbacks who had at least 27 touchdown passes and 12 rushing scores that season.
As hinted, Thompson-Robinson is a threat as a runner. He topped 600 yards on the ground in each of his last two college seasons, with a total of 21 touchdowns on the ground. Given just five NFL starts and 230 pass attempts, Thompson-Robinson does not seem to fit the criteria Carroll mentioned about experience.
But he does have some, and Kelly should be an obvious advocate for bringing in his former quarterback. Plus, it doesn't hurt that Eagles front office members Brandon Hunt and Anthony Patch are now in Las Vegas.
Ideally, even though it would've meant giving up a late-round draft pick, the Raiders would have been able to trade for Thompson-Robinson if they wanted to. Now he'll go to waivers, with only five teams ahead of them in that pecking order if, and perhaps when, they place a claim.