It might not be necessary for the Las Vegas Raiders to search the NFL Draft for a prospective young quarterback to join the team. In the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, many of the best quarterback options will be gone when the No. 13 pick is selected.
To give incoming general manager Tom Telesco more alternatives, it would probably take a lot for the team to trade up for a higher pick. Getting in touch with the Chicago Bears regarding Justin Fields is one possibility. With the first overall choice, the Bears will have the opportunity to select the top quarterback prospect. Fields would probably still be in the lineup the next season if it weren’t for that.
The Bears, though, must seize the opportunity to sign Drake Maye or Caleb Williams. After outlining what the Bears would receive in exchange for Fields and a sixth-round pick going to the Raiders, CBS Sports made a trade proposal.
In a mock draft published on January 25, Trapasso stated, “No. 77 overall (third-round pick), 2025 third-round pick that becomes a second-round pick if Fields plays 75% of the snaps and becomes a first-round pick if the Raiders make the playoffs in 2025.”
The Raiders would only have to risk two third-round picks if Fields didn’t pan out. Asking that much for a quarterback who has the potential to be a franchise player is not unreasonable. If the Raiders qualify for the playoffs in 2024, they would only have to forfeit a first-round pick; however, since that pick would be lower, this should not be enough to deter the team from considering a trade.
A quarterback draft pick or Justin Fields?
The most significant concern with Justin Fields’ trade is his contract status. A team will have to choose whether to pick up his rookie contract’s fifth-year option this offseason. According to Over the Cap, Fields’ fifth-year option is expected to be worth $21.9 million. That, too, is absolutely assured.
To invest so much money in a player who might not be the best fit is quite high. The Raiders would have at least three years to consider a contract extension or option if they were to select a quarterback in the draft.
Fields is an excellent rusher. With 178 rushing yards in a game during the 2022 season, he holds the record for quarterbacks. Though he hasn’t passed for more than 2,600 yards in a season, he struggles as a passer. A rookie would allow Fields to continue developing and see if the Raiders can make it work in a situation where he has already had three seasons to establish himself as a franchise quarterback.
Ennis Rakestraw Jr. is expected to be drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders.
There are plenty of needs on the roster if the Raiders choose to add a quarterback instead of drafting one in the first round. Cornerback is one position they might aim for.
Rakestraw possesses the chippy mentality required for a boundary cornerback to succeed in the NFL today, not merely to survive. Technically speaking, he’s also sound,” Trapasso stated.
It would be very beneficial for the Raiders defence to add a No. 1 cornerback.
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