After having one of the worst offenses in the league last season, new general manager John Spytek knew that he needed to make massive upgrades this offseason for the Las Vegas Raiders. His first decree was to find a better solution at quarterback, which is the most important position on the field.
In early March, he struck a deal with the Seattle Seahawks, sending a third-round pick in exchange for veteran Geno Smith. Not only is Smith a top 12 quarterback in the league, but he already has a rapport with head coach Pete Carroll that dates back to their years together in Seattle.
While Smith will certainly be the starter this year, the team has made it clear that they are targeting a mid-round quarterback in this year's NFL Draft. That means that the writing could be on the wall for Aidan O'Connell, who has started 17 games for the franchise over the last two seasons.
Rumored return on Aidan O'Connell trade is what Raiders fans expected all along
Last week, The Athletic's Vic Tafur reported that the Raiders may be looking to trade O'Connell during NFL Draft weekend. Tafur recently provided an update on the situation and revealed the potential return that the team could receive for trading him.
"The Raiders' new brass doesn't seem that high on incumbent Aidan O'Connell," wrote Tafur. "Many expect them to try and trade him for a pick on Day 3 of the draft."
While receiving a fourth-rounder, at best, for the team's former starting quarterback may not seem like a lot, this is exactly what Raiders fans expected. O'Connell was a fourth-rounder himself, and while he has a full season of starting experience under his belt, that time under center also exposed many of his deficiencies as a player.
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O'Connell was a serviceable quarterback for the Silver and Black, but nothing more. He does not have any traits that would indicate he has more potential to tap into, meaning he is likely to be a career backup in the NFL, as most fourth-rounders are.
Las Vegas has several other holes to fill this offseason, and depth will be a major concern for the Raiders as they continue to turn the roster over with the new regime. If the franchise can net a late-round pick for O'Connell, they should jump on it and give another young quarterback a chance to develop.
The Raiders are likely to target a player like Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart, Ohio State's Will Howard or Texas' Quinn Ewers in the middle rounds of the draft, which makes a deal for O'Connell a no-brainer. Las Vegas used a Day 3 pick on him, and they could receive one back if they play their cards right.