@kylededi I think the Raiders got better by hiring Carroll. They need to find a QB if they want to compete in a division that is looking more and more stacked.
Of the QB options for the Raiders, I think Darnold is the best
- Wilson has not been good for several years. While Russ is still going to count as $32M in dead cap, he’s done being paid by the Broncos. He’s going to look to get paid one more time (greedy fucker – Note – I would be doing the same thing…). Russ signing a 3 year, $60M+ deal with the Raiders will yield another Denver-esque situation (with less dead cap), which is why this is my favorite choice. It would be really fun if 1 person completely fucked over two teams in the Chargers division
- Cousins? Maybe. Dude makes Rivers look like Michael Vick. He is a STATUE in the pocket. In the right system with a good OL, I think he can be effective. Don’t think Pete is going to run an offense that can take advantage of what Curt offers. Pete is going to want more mobility in his QB. Bad fit.
- Gino Smith: Saw a bunch of Raider fans clamoring for a trade. Dude will be 36 this year and his play fell off significantly in 2024. I think Gino would improve the QB play for the Raiders, but not enough to get them above 8 wins. The Raiders giving up draft capitol and paying a mobile QB closer to 40 than 30 would be a mistake. Hence, I like this choice too
- Sam Darnold. After the last season (and being the third pick in his draft class), Sam’s likely going to be expensive. At 27, if the Raiders can construct an offense similar to what Oconnell did in Minn, this is the choice with the highest upside.
I think the Raiders will end up with one of these 4 on the roster in 2025. What would I do?
- I would have kept Pierce on the team, traded Crosby for as much 2026 draft capitol as possible & set the team up to FAIL in 2025
- With (hopefully) the #1 draft pick in hand, I would have my choice of 2026 QBs in what should be a very good QB class. Arch Manning? Nico Iamaleava? Garrett Nussmeier? Lots of very good options.
- I would have picked my “coach of the future” to lead the 2026 team.
The only way to compete in the AFC-W is to have a great coach/QB tandem. No question Pete is a very good coach, but the dude is 12 years older than Jim. With no QB, I don’t see how they compete in 2025 AND I do not see how they can compete into the future without a top-10 QB (which they need to draft). Unless they get really lucky, similar to Payton in Denver, Pete should win just enough to keep the Raiders out of the prime QB drafting zone.