Trade Pitch Has Raiders Swap Pick & Jack Jones To Land $180 Million QB

Getty

Las Vegas Raiders CB Jack Jones.

The Las Vegas Raiders are in the head coach, general manager and quarterback market this offseason. How they address those three openings could determine the future of the franchise.

With the Raiders not picking until No. 6 of the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, drafting a top prospect could prove difficult in a weak quarterback class. If they can’t land a rookie, they could add a high-end stopgap quarterback. Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report pitched a trade that would send cornerback Jack Jones and a 2025 fourth-round pick to the Atlanta Falcons for quarterback Kirk Cousins.

“In Las Vegas, Cousins could start for two to three years as the bridge-gap signal-caller while the coaching staff develops a talent in a backup role,” Moton wrote in a Jan. 10 column. “Because the Raiders don’t have a pick high enough to draft Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, Cousins may feel confident that he would start for at least a full season over O’Connell, Minshew and possibly a Day 2 rookie signal-caller.

“The Raiders could add Jack Jones to the deal to bolster their bid. Jones struggled in coverage this past season, giving up eight touchdowns, but he also made plays on the ball. As a first-time full-time starter in his three-year career, he recorded 16 pass breakups and three interceptions, including a pick-six.”

Would This Trade Make Sense for Raiders?

Cousins is coming off arguably the worst season of his career. He threw a career-high 16 interceptions before getting sent to the bench. This came just months after the Falcons gave him a four-year, $180 million contract.

There is no trade that makes sense for the Raiders to take on that full contract unless the Falcons send them significant draft compensation. However, Atlanta could take on a portion of that contract to make the deal make sense.

Jones was a starting cornerback for the Raiders this season but was very inconsistent. He was very close with recently fired head coach Antonio Pierce so he may not make as much sense for the next coaching staff. Giving him and a fourth-round pick up for a starting quarterback is a small price to pay.

While Cousins isn’t as effective as he once was, he’d still be an upgrade over what the Raiders have. If the Falcons are willing to take on a big portion of that contract, this deal could make some sense for Las Vegas.

Raiders’ Top QB Options

As far as veteran quarterback options for the Raiders go, Cousins would have to be near the top of the list. The Minnesota Vikings will likely keep Sam Darnold going forward but he’s set to be a free agent and could be worth taking a look at.

If the Vikings decide to give Darnold a long-term contract, that could open up the door for the Raiders to potentially trade for J.J. McCarthy. Detroit Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker could also be an interesting player to watch if Las Vegas hires Ben Johnson.

As far as the draft goes, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward appear to be the only quarterback worthy of a first-round pick but the Raiders might not be picking early enough to get one of them.