Once the Raiders settle on hiring a GM and a head coach, their next major decision will involve their quarterback of the future.
Aidan O’Connell has performed well in his first NFL season, but he isn’t one of the top 32 quarterbacks in the league and the Raiders are expected to be aggressive in their search for a franchise quarterback in the offseason.
Given their position in the upcoming draft (most likely not in the top 10), it would make a lot of sense for the Raiders to take a long look at Justin Fields.
The Bears have a difficult decision coming on Fields and many believe he will be traded in the offseason – especially now that it looks like their head coach is going to retain his job after the season.
If the Bears decide to trade Fields, the cost is expected to be a 2nd or 3rd round pick, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Would a second-round pick for Fields make sense for the Raiders?
Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter talked about that possibility this week, and the biggest hurdle for a team like the Raiders would be the cost of the contract that would come with Fields….
“I am not sure the Bears will let him go, if they will, you can’t pay him the monster $40-$50 million I think he would want. He hasn’t yet demonstrated that level, plus what would they have to give up? If the Raiders could get a three-year deal (that protects Justin and the team) at a reasonable compensation, and the cost of the trade was favorable, that would be a good deal.
He has to stay healthy and consistent, but he is very talented and a super young man. Fields has all of the God-given skills to be great, he is smart, with a monster football IQ. He hasn’t proven to stay healthy, or consistent in the NFL, but I think he would with a better franchise.“
Fields has one more year on his rookie contract, but his rookie deal still has a fifth-year option that can be exercised to keep him under contract for another year. Fields will have some leverage on a new deal getting done (especially from any team that gives up valuable draft picks for him), so it could work out that a trade for him would involve a new contract.
For what it’s worth, Spotrac projects Fields to have a market value of around $47 million per season entering his next NFL contract. That’s a lot of money, but good quarterbacks don’t come cheap.
twitter: @raidersbeat
Adrian O’Donnell is not the answer at quarterback for the raiders we need to find someone else a back up is all he is good for
Shoulda Coulda got Lamar Jackson Last Year
Not even slightly interested!
Raiders are still boondoggled with the Jimmy G contract. Hopefully karma catches up to McDaniels and sends him on a 1 way trip to dick kick city.
Draft a qb and let him and O’Connell battle it out to be the starter in training camp. If they do draft a qb they should draft one that is a duel threat. They also need a offensive coordinator the one we have sucks. That being said Fields isn’t worth 50 mil a year.
I wouldn’t mind having fields as our starting QB… But I much rather have one of those top QBs coming out in the draft. I know we probably won’t have a chance at Caleb Williams or Drake Maye.. but we might have a chance to move up a few spots and grab Jayden Daniels… Or we could do our homework on Pennik Jr and Bo Nix to see if they’re worth drafting in the first round. I just know this off season we gotta some how some way find our QB of the future. Cause for real I believe that’s all we’re really missing. If we had a decent QB we could be fighting for the division every year. We can’t let the Chiefs broncos and chargers sign good Free agents and hit on they’re draft picks every year while we’re still searching for a QB. We gotta try to keep pace with those other teams in our division. Cause I’m really fking tired of seeing mahomes and the chiefs win the division every year… and now the Chargers are going to hire a new HC and GM that I hope they don’t hit on those hires . We just gotta make the right decisions this off season on who we hire as HC and GM and who we choose to be our future QB. If we can hit on getting those three things right then shiot we right there ready to take the next step by winning the division and being in the playoffs every yr. Raider Nation stand up. Raaaaiiiddddeeeeerrrsss