Gardner Minshew is the Las Vegas Raiders’ starting quarterback for the time being, although he is unlikely to stay there indefinitely. Aidan O’Connell is still in his second year, but he lacks enough upside for the team to consider him a long-term alternative.
Teams seldom give up outstanding young quarterbacks, so if the Raiders want to uncover a potentially intriguing quarterback, they may have to take a significant risk. According to Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay, that swing may involve sending a 2025 fifth-round pick to the Chicago Bears for Tyson Bagent.
“Vegas could take an unconventional path to finding one by trading for a current backup right before the campaign kicks off,” Kay wrote in an August 27 piece. “Tyson Bagent has had a fantastic preseason and has demonstrated enough in recent weeks to inspire confidence that he could be a starter in the NFL.”
“Unfortunately, Bagent’s chances of emerging as a QB1 in Chicago are extremely slim due to the presence of Caleb Williams. With little chance of unseating the No. 1 overall pick on the depth chart, the Bears may instead take advantage of their backup’s quickly increasing value by trading Bagent to a desperate team like the Raiders.”
Bagent shined during the preseason, completing 17 of 25 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns. He’s not a sure thing, but he could be worth a shot.
“While Bagent still must prove he can perform at a high level when the games count—he went 2-2 in four starts last year while completing 65.7 percent of his passes for 859 yards and three touchdowns against six interceptions—his upside is worth a gamble for the Raiders,” said Kay.
Las Vegas Raiders Are Better Off Waiting
Bagent could be a decent quarterback, but tossing two touchdown passes in four preseason games does not qualify him as the next Ken Stabler. If the Raiders were to make a significant move, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance, who was the third overall choice in the 2020 NFL Draft, would be a more intriguing option.
Regardless, neither Lance nor Bagent are likely prepared to lead a team to the playoffs. For 2024, the Raiders would be better suited with Minshew. Next offseason, the team will have to explore their quarterback choices.
Future at quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders’ future quarterback is most likely not on the roster. Minshew is just on a two-year deal, and the fact that O’Connell was unable to push him out for the starting position does not auger well for his future.
Depending on how the season goes, the Raiders will have a few alternatives for next year. If the team is bad, they will probably have a high draft pick. If they pick in the top ten, it’s difficult to conceive they won’t get a QB.
If the Raiders win nine or ten games but fail to make the playoffs due to poor quarterback play, they may try to acquire a proven player such as Dak Prescott. They could also try to trade up in the draft to acquire a rookie. The Raiders will have to be aggressive in addressing the quarterback issue next season.
Leave a Reply