The Las Vegas Raiders are one of the more intriguing teams going into the offseason. They have a ton of free agency questions to answer, but with new ownership led by Tom Brady, it remains to be seen what their new mindset is.
One analyst believes that philosophy is going to teeter toward going all-in. Rather than wait patiently with to build through the NFL Draft, they could take a swing in free agency to sign the best available quarterback and push themselves back toward the postseason.
Las Vegas Raiders To Sign Star Free Agent Quarterback?
Last season, was a whirlwind for the Raiders. A typically strong defense took a step back and the offense was an almighty hurdle. With neither Aidan O’Connell nor Gardner Minshew finishing as even an average NFL quarterback, the future looks bleak without serious changes under center.
Both O’Connell (20th) and Minshew (35th), fared terribly in PFSN’s QB+ metric, leading to an offense that ranked as the fourth-worst in the league, per PFSN’s Offense+. A major pivot is necessary, and with a shift in ownership and coaching, it might be on the horizon.
However, rather than take the patient approach, Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr believes Las Vegas may swing for the fences and sign the best free-agent quarterback and 10th-best overall player available in free agency, according to PFSN’s Top 100 Free Agent Rankings: former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold.
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“The Raiders will sign Sam Darnold for three years and $120 million and begin the season 3–0 as the fervor over offensive coordinator Chip Kelly gains a massive groundswell.”
He believes the biggest reason for their change in fortunes will be their new head coach Pete Carroll and his “immaculate vibes.”
From a team perspective, the Darnold move might make sense, if judging it exclusively through a 2024-25 lens. This season, his first with the Minnesota Vikings, saw Darnold finish fifth in the league in passing yards and touchdowns with 4,319 and 35, respectively.
As a result, Minnesota finished with 14 wins on the season and Darnold even heard some fringe MVP buzz. He was favored by QB+ metric, finishing 12th among all quarterbacks. However, his play before 2024 remains an issue.
Aside from last season, Darnold was often viewed as one of the worst QBs in the league, with his numbers right alongside the likes of Minshew and O’Connell. Thus, the Raiders might be wary of taking that swing.
Under a Coach of the Year in Kevin O’Connell and an offense featuring the likes of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, the necessary ingredients for a breakout were present. But replicating that success with a despondent wide receiver room is a tough ask.
However, if it does work out in their favor, the Raiders could be set up for the long haul. At 27, he could realistically spend the foreseeable future with Las Vegas, keeping himself in the playoff conversation despite a stacked AFC.
Tom Brady Will Play Crucial Role In Finding Next QB
One thing is certain: Brady will be very involved when it comes to finding the Raiders’ next quarterback. Carroll made this clear during his introductory press conference.
“It’s our mission to build our team around the QB position… it isn’t the only spot. We happen to have the greatest of all time to help us, and we are gonna lean on Tom as much as we can for his insights because nobody has the insights that he has — he is that unique.
“But the QB position is one of the [most important] positions of the team and we got to make it fit all together well. You know, I have pretty good success with my QBs in the past, you can go all the way back to my college days and they have all turned out to be really extraordinary members of our club.
“There’s a way to embrace the challenge the QB has for the rest of the football team as well. We need to support our guy, and we need to do what we can to make that work. It’s really about making a great football team around the QB position. Coach [Bill] Walsh taught me a long time ago that it’s the hardest position in professional sports to play, and we need to make it as easy for them as possible.
“We do that by running the football, protecting them, taking care of the ball, [playing] great defense, kicking the ball when we want to kick it, and so there’s a lot that goes into it. But just think about how fortunate we are to have Tom Brady — it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
These days, Brady is essentially running the Raiders, so it’s no surprise that he would also have plenty of say in who will be under center for Las Vegas next season.
During a recent episode of “The Ryen Russillo Podcast,” The Athletic’s Dianna Russini revealed just how much Brady calls the shots behind the scenes in Las Vegas.
“Let’s just start with making it really clear that Tom Brady is running everything in Vegas. It’s all Tom Brady,” Russini said. “I’m telling you, it’s all Tom Brady there. I mean, even his own TB12 programs are being installed, so to speak.”
Brady’s fingerprints are all over every major decision within the franchise, from personnel moves to the decision to hire Carroll to training regimens, so he’s much more involved than your typical minority owner.
Now, it’ll be interesting to see who Brady targets as the Raiders’ next signal-caller.
