A pivotal offseason is ahead for the Raiders and there will, as always, be a few surprises coming.
Let’s look ahead to five scenarios that might play out that shouldn’t come as a huge surprise if/when they happen…
The Raiders trade their first-round pick
Jon Gruden took the patient route for three years. He loaded up on draft picks and even traded away one of the top defensive players in the league. To this point, the return hasn’t been great. All the while, the Rams have been trading away one first-round pick after another and having great success. This will be the year Gruden decides he wants in on some of that action.
Marcus Mariota gets traded
Yes, reports have talked about the Raiders not being able to find a trade partner for Mariota, but looking at the quarterbacks on the market and state of affairs in Chicago, Washington, and New England, it makes no sense for any of those teams to be stubborn and refuse to give up a draft pick for Mariota.
Quarterback is the most important position on the field. You don’t squat on a mid or late-round pick when you have an opportunity to upgrade at quarterback… especially when the rest of your roster is playoff ready.
Derek Carr gets a contract extension
If the Raiders are committed to Carr as their quarterback next year, they need to lower his cap number. His contract will still be tradable in a year (everyone saw what happened with Stafford and Wentz), so why have every dollar Carr makes over the next two years count against the salary cap?
It wouldn’t be difficult for the Raiders to get Carr’s cap number well under $10 million next year and give him a raise. If he’s on the roster next year, Carr’s $22.125 cap number should, at minimum, be cut in half.
Raiders part ways with at least one veteran guard
He got off to a rough start in his first few games as a rookie, but John Simpson showed improvement down the stretch and a change of the guard is coming soon. Quite literally.
Gabe Jackson ($9.6 million) and Richie Incognito ($5.475 million) both have cap numbers that the Raiders will have to think hard about. Odds are that one of them won’t be around next year. If all things are equal, look for the player with the higher cap number to go first. $9.6 million is a lot to pay for a guard.
The Raiders re-sign Nelson Agholor
If his stock last year would have been where it is now, Agholor would have made a lot more money in free agency. But this year there are 9 or 10 free agent receivers that are as good as Agholor and it’s hard to imagine the Raiders will be outbid for his services.
With the salary cap expected to drop considerably in 2021, there won’t be as much money on the table for free agents and it might be a good idea for Agholor to return to the Raiders on another one-year deal. Another year in Gruden’s system would probably be the best opportunity for Agholor to break 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career… and maybe next year he can get the long-term deal he was/is looking for this year.
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Keep Mariotta and trade Carr. The draft capital and financial savings that they receive for Carr will more than make up for his loss. Jettison Nathan Peterman and get a rookie. If the Raiderskeep Carr or Mariotta and either one goes down to injury, Nathan Peterman IS NOT who ANY Raiders fan wants tos ee on the field and if that injury scenario should play out, Jon Gruden will be roasted alive. Nathan Peterman will absolutely end Jon Gruden’s coaching career. Keep Gabe Jackson and cut Richie Incognito. Incognito has absolutely no up side and is on the verge of being out of the league due to health concerns anyway. If possible, trade Trent Brown to Baltimore for Orlando Brown. Resign Agholor to a two year deal and let the chips fall where they may. Since Tyrell Williams will not get a deal anywhere in the league to equal what he got from the Raiders last year, resign him for half of that on a one year prove it deal. He has had a whole year to recover and should want to prove, to any team, that he has still got it.
That’s because you don’t understand that salary and cap soace are not tge same thing. Carr has guaranteed money on his contract, and the salary cap hit if he is cut is higher than his salary. Mariota has NO guaranteed money, so cut Mariota and save 10M, he has no guaranteed money, and the salary cap hit for him is zero.
Do you really want to turn the team over to Mariota on the basis of a good 3/4 of a game? And think about why Mariota is here in the first place, he got cut because Ryan Tannehill beat him out, and Tannehill is nowhere near as good as Carr.
the raiders are not trading car he’s an elite quarterback why don’t you get over yourself all they’ve been saying is there not going to
Elite? I think Carr fans do similar drugs.
Incognito has been hurt back to back years would be better to get rid of the older guy and redo Gabe contract. Start him and Simpson
what do you think of Mariota for Khalil Mack trade since Chicago in need of a QB ?
Trade Carr keep, Mariota as Quarter Back. Carr has been hurt more than once and can’t run when he needs to. Mariota can throw,Run and take a hit. Salary cap would be lower getting Rid of Carr. In Last 3 years he hasn’t acomplished much to talk about. I say give Mariota a chance It would be good for the Raiders to get it done!
Mariota has been hurt way more then carr thus why he dont play in Tennessee anymore and is a back up to boot let me know when carr reaches back up status and we can have a talk about getting rid of carr
Carr has already hit the backup QB status at 42% win loss record. If Mariota had not had a poor rookie season, he would have a 70% ++ record.
Trade Carr drop salary cap by doing so…Let Mariota show what needs to get done. Trading Carr would be the right thing to do here. Keeping him wouldn’t…It’s time for a change on Quarter Back! I think Mariota is way better than Carr….And Gruden should give it some thought? We need to Win more and be the Raiders when Madden coached…They were on stoppable. Mariota for our new Quarter Back.
Mariota has to prove he can go every Sunday. He also has to get a winning team to believe they can win and should win every Sunday. Her the leader that Carr is not. Respect me, follow me, l believe in me attitude is definitely needed at the Raiders.
Be the leader Carr is not.
Marcus is ready to play his best football. He got his bumps & bruises in Tennessee where he had to endure multiple O Coordinator’ s as well as HC…he is a winner and he was born to be out slinging the football and out running safeties to the end zone for the Silver & Black!!!
Coach Gruden, please trade Carr and start Marcus Mariota and Raiders Nation will forever be thankful to you and like Mr. Davis would say Just Win !
Trade Carr and Mariota and use the picks to get Watson or Wilson. Keep Gabe Jackson over incognito
No way use draft capital of two 1st round picks for Carr on Watson – try and trade the No. 1 picks to Jacksonville and draft Trevor Lawrence, then play Marcus, let TL learn Gruden’s drabby no sizzle pathetic offense schemes of the 80’s and 90’s
Keep Angler, get one more elite running back, stack the defense, Carr is staying, maybe with renegotiated lower extension.
Just get rid of that wasted talent like Arnett he’s to busy trying to be a rapper he’s just another one hit wonder they got lazy towards the second half ,but a few didn’t
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Expect Gruden and Mayock to make more stupid decisions and still be retained by Mark Davis. If Gruden and Mayock are so competent then why not trade Carr for additional draft capital? That’s what Gruden effectively, or not, did with Kahlil Mack and Amari Cooper. Nobody expects the Raiders to go anywhere this year and they won’t be disappointed. The only thing more intricate that Gruden’s “playbook” is the plethora of excuses he will have for another losing season. Look at last year’s debacle that some call free agency. Does anyone trust these clowns to get it right this year? Oh, I know, after three years at the helm Gruden now has a handle on things and the Raiders fortunes are about to take a dramatic upturn??? Somebody’s drinking unfiltered water from Lake Meade again. Well, let’s do a quick tally. Thus far that’s 30 million to Gruden for 19 wins and 29 losses. Playoff appearances? ZERO Playoff wins? ZERO. ALL irrefutable facts. After all, Gruden is supposed to be remaking this team in his image and with his vision. IF Derek Carr goes down to injury, just wait Raiders fans until Nathan Peterman hits the field.
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