The Las Vegas Raiders need a quarterback. There are three routes they can take -- ride things out with Aidan O'Connell and wait for a better draft class (2025's is shaping out to be shaky), sign a free agent, or draft a quarterback and take a shot.
Here's the thing, though: even if the Silver and Black drafts a quarterback in 2025, it would suit them best to sit him for a year to develop under Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly's system. The odds are more favorable for the quarterback to pan out.
There is not proven method on how to get out of this quarterback conundrum, but it up to Carroll, GM John Spytek, and minority owner Tom Brady to find a way.
If there is one certain thing, though, it's the idea of bringing in a bridge quarterback. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer recently touched on it and believes that this could be the year of the bridge quarterback.
"Be it Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson or Kirk Cousins, there are options out there for teams that might be looking for alternatives to taking a quarterback in the first round," wrote Breer. "The key is that you have to make those decisions around six weeks before the draft -- while you’re still going through the process of evaluating the draft class.
"So for the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders, getting an early read on Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward will be important. And seeing where they stack up against someone such as Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart, who’s built some momentum with teams as a potential early Day 2 option, could be key, too. ... at least a few teams in need will make the conscious decision to punt on the draft quarterbacks altogether and go with a veteran option. And maybe one will weigh the idea of landing 27-year-old Sam Darnold against drafting one of these guys -- and end up taking the plunge (for what it’s worth, the 2018 version of Darnold would almost certainly be a first pick in this draft), presuming the Vikings don’t tag Darnold."
The Raiders have $95 million in cap space. They also have stability and the vision for continuity and winning football. Missing on a quarterback draft pick sets franchises back multiple seasons and the Raiders cannot afford it.
What they can afford? A free agent quarterback.
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