Redskins: 6 teams that could consider taking a quarterback ahead of their first-round pick
5. Oakland Raiders (No. 4 pick)
This is a potential quarterback landing spot that few are talking about. Yes, the Raiders have Derek Carr and they are paying him a lot to be a franchise quarterback. However, that was the previous regime. Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden could opt to select a potential replacement if they like some of the prospects in the 2019 draft better than Carr.
Carr has been a steady passer at the NFL level, and he actually had a better season than most realize he had last year with the Raiders. However, Gruden and Mayock may want a passer with more vertical ability to run their offense.
As Rotoworld’s Evan Silva pointed out, Carr has never been much of a vertical passer. Yet, the Raiders have added a few players that figure to be big-time vertical threats in the team’s offense.
#Raiders loading up on vertical WRs in Antonio Brown, Tyrell Williams, J.J. Nelson. Interesting after Derek Carr finished 2nd to last in % of passes attempted 20+ yards downfield (9.2%) in year one of Jon Gruden. In Carr's 2016 career year, he finished 26th (10.0%).
— Evan Silva (@evansilva) March 15, 2019
More from Riggo's Rag
- What will Emmanuel Forbes bring to the Washington Commanders?
- Highlighting the best Commanders 2023 NFL Draft betting props
- 3 late Commanders rumors drawing buzz ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft
- 4 bold predictions for the Commanders 2023 NFL Draft
- Commanders News: Chase Young trade, draft day, CB riser and Sam Howell
That doesn’t necessarily mean that Carr can’t run a vertical-based offense. But, if the team wants to add a strong-armed quarterback with one of their three first-round picks, it could be possible.
It’s also notable that the Raiders have been tied to guys like Kyler Murray, Dwayne Haskins, and Drew Lock this offseason. All three have strong arms. WalterFootball.com’s Charlie Campbell recently reported that the team very much likes Murray and Haskins, and they could consider trading Carr if they opt to get one of them with the fourth pick.
It’s tough to know what Carr would fetch on the open market this offseason, as few teams have needs at the quarterback position. However, if the Raiders waited until the 2020 offseason, they could trade Carr with just $5 million in dead money and possibly offload him to a team that moves on from their starter. Additionally, the team could try and trade Carr in the preseason if a team loses their starter. Or, Carr could start for a year while the rookie develops. There are simply many options for Oakland if they elect to go after a passer.
The Raiders seem to very much be in the race for a quarterback. If they deem one worthy, they could opt to select one with the fourth pick while addressing the defensive side of the ball with their other first-round picks. Of course, they could also opt to roll with Carr. Like the Dolphins, it’s not expected that they will take a quarterback at this time, but keep an eye on it nonetheless.