Aidan O’Connell turned in arguably his best game as a pro on Sunday, but at least one beat writer covering the team doesn’t see O’Connell as a quarterback with enough “high end” potential.
Vinny Bonsignore, who covers the Raiders for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, said on Monday that he views O’Connell as more of “Derek Carr-ish type” than an elite quarterback like Patrick Mahomes.
Here’s the full quote from Bonsignore on Raider Nation Radio’s The Morning Tailgate…
“I don’t know if Aidan O’Connell is that guy. Certainly, he’s not Derek Carr. He did what he did with the Raiders, and he’s doing the same exact thing with the Saints. As fine of a human being as I’ve ever met, but I don’t think he’s the guy and I think the Raiders were spinning their wheels for a long time with him as their quarterback. [He’s had] the same results in New Orleans that always inflicted him here with the Raiders. Is Aidan O’Connell kind of a Derek Carr-ish type of a guy? It seems like he’s trending more in that direction than Patrick Mahomes or the high-end quarterback that you need. I just think that it’s high time, the Raiders need to make it a priority to go find their guy.”
O’Connell now has five NFL starts to his credit, and if the Raiders don’t figure anything else out this year, they need to walk away from the season with an accurate evaluation of O’Connell.
The cost to find “their guy” at quarterback will not be cheap and if a fourth-round pick that’s already in the building can be that guy, the Raiders can’t afford to miss him.
The NFL is trending in the direction of more mobile quarterbacks, but is the league that much different than it was when Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees were dominating the position?
That will be a decision for the next Raiders GM and head coach to figure out…
twitter: @raidersbeat
I am impressed with how O’Connell has improved with each game (unlike some rookie QBs I won’t mention). He had several pinpoint throws against the Chiefs (and non-pinpoint throws too). But the latter is to be expected with someone with five starts, whereas those laser throws into tight windows are not. I just wish we hadn’t wasted time with Jimmy G, a downgrade from Carr. With the thank goodness coaching change and O’Connell learning in leaps and bounds, things are looking way up. It’s far too early to decide O’Connell has a low ceiling.
I agree, plus the coaches and play calling aren’t putting AOC in a position to win. Better coaching to help develop him, plus we don’t know how to make the adjustments at the half are hurting his game. We need a real coach, we need Harbaugh, Pierce needs more experience before he makes the leap.
I agreed with moving on from Carr, as he wasn’t the answer at QB. He had peaked and wasn’t going to improve any. At least now the team can move forward on finding the next starting QB. O’Connell will be in the mix, he could still develop. Most importantly, the team needs to improve the OL or they won’t get a good take on any QB, going forward.
Yes this is true,When a customer gets bad service it’s not the employees fault its the managers fault he trained him or her. J.M. was neither this Q.B we have now has to make it happen. We can’t wait 2 or 5 more years.Thats what happened with Carr.Mcdaniels is gone its not gonna happen overnight .Work with what we got.Unless you believe in Santa Claus will bring us a Christmas Miracle notttttt.
Whatever if mahomos line didn’t get away with holding all the time he wouldn’t have all the numbers they get away with pass interference and don’t touch mahomez or it’s a penalty just the same as cheating *** patriots and Brady . NFL is dirty and favors certain teams and players and refs do what their told cheat the raiders. Just like this writer doing what he is told to say to get his theory on the raiders . Godell sucks needs to be gone the biggest RAIDER HATER of them all . He sucks and will continue to **** us so that’s bout all I have to say. Raider NATION TILL I DIE !!! WIN OR LOSE bleed silver and black. Not any bandwagon fans who’s favorite team is who’s winning that year. Just like all the new chief fans all the sudden because of not a player but a singer dating a chief and chargers ridiculous prices for concerts . Shows how much she cares about her fans. They be gone when she’s done with him .
Calm down boy, until they get a coach and a real GM and actually what they need to do is sell the team to a real owner who has money and a vision(not out of the 70-80s) are the Raiders goin to be realvant, the league hates them, as the refs do to, so Mac Davis sell the team, and yes I meant to spell his name that way, so you keep bleeding ur colors and keep losing while I will hope for new ownership and light at the end of the tunnel with a superbowl trophy, it’s the yr 2023 not 1970’s get with the times bruh
O’Connells passing has definitely improved and it appears his teammates are confident in him. Mobility seems to be the biggest issue. A strong O-line and mobility will improve his play. When he has time, most of his passes are spot on.
AOC does have a limited ceiling. He is a guy with borderline starting ability who can win games if well protected. We need a dynamic (mobile) QB who can execute effectively outside the play design AND plays top 10 level from the pocket
With a good O-line your doesn’t have to be incredibly mobile.
I Love it when a writer or anyone else for that matter says it’s time to find a QB… Every year there are 3 – 5 GREAT prospects taken in the early picks in the draft. About once every 5 or 6 years ONE of them actually shows that they were indeed Elite!!! For every Peyton Manning, John Elway and Patrick Mahomes their are 20 or more other potential “great ones” that are typically above average at best, showing flashes of brilliance, but never becoming much more than a serviceable starter and eventually a career backup. IMNHO, it might make more sense, if you enjoy winning, to put all of the resources into the offensive line and the defense as a whole. A team has a much better chance of winning with a Great Defense and a Offensive Line that gives their above average QB the time and protection it takes to overcome their flaws…
👍👍👍
The Raiders glory days are long behind us. We use to win Super Bowls win decent quarterbacking. Never top 5. Regardless mostly all championships are won with great defense, and great olines. We can’t blame Carr, for most of his not winning enough games. We have for over 20 years and still have a horrible defense. Gruden destroyed our Oline, by trade or allowing good O linemen to simply walk away. Defense have not been the biggest priority in years. You cannot stop teams with one great defensive player. People want to judge the quarterback on wins & loses. When the Oline can give consistent time to the quarterback to make his reads, or in the case with McDaniels. He was such a control freak that he wouldn’t allow his QBs to change a play at the line. That’s why Brady always had the power to override any play he wanted. Belichick gave that to Brady. That’s why McDaniels will never make a good HC. Only played players he like, and hated any player that questioned him, or 2nd guessed him. People have mentioned Carr. True he’s having problems with the Saints. DA is like McDaniels in some ways. Great defensive coordinator but not HC material. That team too has a horrible Oline. And they let some of their best defensive players walk in free agency. Their defense is the absolute most overrated in the NFL. Offensive plays are predictable. They like the Raiders are just not a good team. Yes AP is a raw raw kind of coach. That help some motivation, but without most importantly a good game plan and talent, you’re not going to win many games. No matter how hard players try. One of my old coaches told me once years after my playing days. “You can’t make chicken salad out of chicken ****!” He was right. Yes heart will keep you in games, and you can sometimes out play better talent. Especially when the other teams thinks or knows they are playing chicken ****, you’ll catch them off guard. I don’t know how much AOC will improve, and honestly can’t say he’s starter material. But I do believe is the best qb on the Raiders team right now, and should remain the start the rest of this season. I also believe AP should be given until the end of the season before judging him. For me it’s simple. If he wins more games than he loses he should be given no more than 2 year contract the first time around. If he loses more games than wins he needs to go back to LB coach, then the Raiders can hire a Jim Harbaugh, or someone else.
Dont you just love idiot critics that dont know the difference between apple butter and apple sauce?
Aidan has the very real potential to win us a SB. He has the talent. He has the arm. He has a lot better head than DC does right now. The rest he is struggling with is growing pains which he will out grow. What is DC’s excuse?
AOC will be a great back up for 15 years but that’s his ceiling a great backup up you can count on.
O’Connell is a good qb. Raiders need to beef up the o- line and protect him better, open holes for rbs to run through. When that happens any qb they get can succeed.
Aidan O’Connell doesn’t have the arm strength to stretch the field. Aidan has poor pocket presence and is not mobile enough to be an elite quarterback in the NFL. This guy is worse than Derek Carr in every aspect. The Raiders have to stop being dishonest with the fans. Start putting a winning team on the field. Stop with all of these bullshit quarterbacks!
Carr was an MVP QB when the situation was right. Then the leadership screwed him. O’Connell is superior to young Carr from an eye test. REALLY is anyone scared of Mahomey with no receivers to save his poor passes?