Raiders Among Favorites to Trade for Polarizing QB.
After hiring a new general manager, the Las Vegas Raiders’ top priority this offseason should be settling the quarterback position. It won’t be easy for the club to draft a quarterback in 2024 with the 13th overall pick in the NFL Draft.
The Raiders may attempt to negotiate a trade for a top quarterback prospect if the price of moving up is too expensive. The Chicago Bears are free to select any quarterback prospect they desire with the first overall choice. Trade rumors involving Justin Fields would circulate if the team chose to retain the selection and select a quarterback.
The Raiders and Patriots are neck and neck in terms of second-best odds (+900) to trade for Fields, per Illinois Bet. In his three years with the Bears, the former first-round choice has displayed some success, but he continues to have difficulty making in-pocket passes.
In the 2024 NFL Draft, you’ll find some of the best quarterback prospects of all time, including Caleb Williams of USC and Drake Maye of UNC. The Bears would be taking a huge risk if they didn’t take a quarterback with the first overall choice, even though Fields has the potential to be a solid starter. The likelihood of Chicago trading for Fields and starting over with their quarterback situation is high.
Should Las Vegas Raiders Trade for Justin Fields?
From a pure quarterback sense, there are reasons to be concerned about a potential Justin Fields deal for the Raiders. In three seasons, he hasn’t passed for more than 2,600 yards and also hasn’t thrown for more than 17 touchdowns. As a runner, he’s quite effective and has 2,220 rushing yards in 40 games.
Fields does have a huge arm and is capable of making some remarkable plays but he’s yet to establish he can be productive in the pocket. While it’s crucial to have quarterbacks who can make players with their feet in today’s NFL, it’s also still important to be able to stand in the pocket and throw.
Fields is only 24 and the Bears haven’t had the best coaching on offense as demonstrated by the recent termination of offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. Perhaps there’s still untapped potential with Fields. However, if a team like the Raiders is going to chase him, they shouldn’t give more than a third-round pick and change.
Aidan O’Connell Played Well to End Season
It’s not believed that the Raiders would go into next season with Aidan O’Connell as the unquestionable starting quarterback but he did show some sparks to conclude the season. In the team’s final four games, O’Connell went 3-1 as a starter while throwing eight touchdowns and no interceptions.
O’Connell truly struggled when he originally took over as the starter but steadily improved as the season went on. He’s certainly an NFL quarterback but it’s still hazardous to expect him to be a consistent starter.
He doesn’t have much mobility and his accuracy is quite variable. If he’s incapable of producing plays with his legs, he needs to be able to produce accurate passes on a consistent basis. Perhaps giving him a complete offseason to work with the first-team offense would put him in a better position but it’s hard not to get past his lack of upside. With so many elite quarterbacks in the AFC, the Raiders will ultimately need to locate a quarterback with more upside but it’s not a given that they’ll take a shot this offseason.
